This mother’s day will be different from all others since we won’t be able to actually hug or kiss our moms while practicing social distancing, unless of course we are already living with mom in the same household. It’s also colder than any recent Mother’s day weekends that I care to remember. Yesterday I woke up to snowflakes blowing around my yard and the wind doesn't seem to have a stop button lately Brrrr! If it feels cold for us, just imagine how a basket of flowers feels, especially after having been raised inside a warm, humid greenhouse.
Remember that the beautiful potted hydrangeas and hanging baskets of annuals we see at the nursery at this time of year have had very limited or no exposure to harsh outdoor temperatures. Just like our home-grown tomato seedlings (see my previous blog post), these too, need to be protected and hardened off before placing outdoors in their permanent positions.
Extreme winds and unusually cold spring temperatures can tatter foliage, ruining their appearance or worse, kill frost-tender plants left outdoors in exposed sites. You may have received or purchased traditional gift flowers this Mother's day. Do your precious annual baskets a favour this Mother's Day by bringing them inside a shed, garage or on a protected porch until pleasant spring weather returns.
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