Here in the Laurentians we have some gardening challenges. One of the big ones is our hardiness zone (3b or 4a). The hardiness zone is established based on the lowest winter temperatures and the number of frost-free days. We have found over the years that perennials and shrubs, but especially annuals, perform quite differently here as well – cold winters, long days, and summers that are often cool and fairly dry.

But this year! Wow, what a season! We have never, ever, done so much pruning in one season. The spring very cold, slow to start, and there was a LOT of winter kill, so June saw us nipping and trimming like crazy. But then…it got hot. And stayed hot. And lucky us, it also rained, often at night. There were dry spells but overall, I have rarely seen a growing season like this one.

The Virginia creeper has engulfed my house. I ripped it off my windows, and two weeks later, it had grown five feet, and I had to do it again. At our clients’ properties, shrubs have been growing up over windows and pathways, then even blocking pathways when they flopped down after heavy rains. Aggressive pruning in July didn’t even show by the first weeks of August. Crazy! And thank goodness for mulch. It makes all the difference in the world, particularly in a hot summer. It retains moisture (good when it’s hot!), as well as preventing weed seed germination. The difference between properties with and without mulch was even more striking than usual this year, and the mulch often paid for itself in saved labour. (Who wants to be weeding in mid-summer anyway, right?)

Flowers that were stalled by the cold spring flowered like mad, all at the same time, to beautiful effect. Perennials have taken on considerably more volume than in a normal year. And, annuals were much, much bigger then they sometimes are…I think they thought they were in Southern Ontario. Coleus, Ipomea (sweet potato vine) and other heat lovers were really in their element.

So, if you are feeling a little overgrown at the moment, blame the weather – in a good way. What a season!

By the same author: The ‘Wow’ season (Click the image below)