Whatever happens in our gardens in the fourth month of the year depends quite a bit on the third month. In 2012, for example, March chalked up nine days in a row of daily highs above 77 degrees F before falling down into the 60s for the rest of the month. The sequence of spring-like temperatures urged plants to wake up, and March began to look like early May, with tulips, lilacs, and redbuds bursting into bloom well before April Fool’s Day.
In short, plants don’t take the calendar into consideration. We’re still hoping for the slightest hint of color, even if it’s green. We can’t wait to brush aside the dried leaves to see if those plants we tucked in last November are ready to wake up and get growing. We can feel the sun’s warmth even if the wind chills our bones.
Established plants take temperature fluctuations in stride, but newly purchased perennials are a different story. Even though the brand new collection of perennials we bring home from the garden center are labeled hardy, they should be “hardened off.” Hardening off is a term that refers to gradually acclimating a plant to its new environment. As tempting as it might be to plant our new acquisitions as soon as we get them home, it’s best to give them a few days of semi-pampering before making them live outside. The majority of garden center plants have been grown in a greenhouse where their moisture, light, temperature and humidity were controlled.
Keep plants in their pots and water them only if they’re dry. Put them under a shrub, an awning, or even an umbrella—they are not ready for the full force of the sun even if their tags say they like it. If temperatures are going to be cold overnight—below 50 degrees F—make sure the soil isn’t wet. Bring the plants close to the house for the night. Put them, pot and all, in a big cardboard box lined with newspaper or some other type of insulation.
