Gardening Update: May 22, 2025

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After what felt like a dry March and April, May’s steady rain and mild temperatures have created ideal growing conditions. We’re now in that awkward transition between spring and summer blooms, so some gardens may feel a little quiet in terms of blooms—but hang in there. As temperatures climb into the 80s, summer flowers will take off.
Deer pressure seems lighter this year. My Stokes Aster, which was devoured last year, is full of buds that are starting to open. With all the rain, weeds are taking advantage—especially in new gardens. Be on the lookout for tree seedlings (elms, maples, tulip poplars), porcelain berry, yellow nutsedge, and pokeweed (great for wildlife , not so much for most home gardens). If you’ve got Bermuda grass nearby, now’s the time to start watching for it creeping into your garden beds.
Still planting? It's not too late, but new plants will need close attention and extra watering as the summer heat kicks in. Come mid-June, unless you're ready for the extra effort and potential losses, it’s better to wait until September. The exception: warm-season grasses like little bluestem, muhly grass, prairie dropseed, and purple lovegrass—which are adapted to grow better in the summer heat.

Keep Gardening,

Doug

Gardening as a Process: Working with Nature

Since this is the first newsletter, I wanted to share my perspective on managing a garden. Many aim for a static, picture-perfect garden, but that often leads to more work and poorer results. If you instead see your garden as a dynamic system—one with many possible outcomes—and work with plants’ natural competitive tendencies, you’ll end up doing less and enjoying more surprises. Your garden won’t look exactly like a design you paid for, and the work will never be truly done—but it will be more rewarding and sustainable.

GO TO ARTICLE

Interesting Gardening Content

• Are mosquitos keeping you out of the garden?

  • Nancy Lawson speaks with Margaret Roach on the Away To Garden Podcast: Nancy talks about the broader impact of mosquito sprays on insects/broader environment and offers a compelling case for more tolerance.

  • Doug Tallamy Walks Through the Mosquito Bucket of Doom: A low-cost, targeted method to kill mosquito larvae without harming other insects (though Nancy suggests this might not be completely harmless). I’m currently testing it—results to come!

• New to Native Plants? Or having trouble understanding why I am such a stickler for including natives in all plantings. Doug Tallamy’s one-hour video is a must-watch for understanding how biodiversity is tied to plant choice. His books are equally approachable and insightful.

• Native Annuals: While most native gardening focuses on perennials, Thomas Christopher’s conversation with Alicia Houck explores the value of native annuals—perfect for filling space and adding color while perennials establish. Try Scarlet Sage, Plains Coreopsis, and Annual Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta).

• Lawn to Meadow Conversion Timeline: Sarah Weaner Cooper at New Directions in American Landscape shares a timeline of her three-year journey converting a traditional lawn into a thriving wildflower meadow. It’s a helpful and honest look at what to expect—season by season—if you’re considering a similar project.

Upcoming Events

• UNCC Botanical Garden Education Courses: Their educational offerings are excellent. I highly recommend the botany and propagation classes—especially botany, which gives you a solid foundation for understanding plant behavior and the rationale for many garden care practices. I’ve heard great things about the ecology course too, but haven’t been able to take it yet—let me know if you take it before I do!

• Native Plant Rescues: Jennifer Lee (Jennifer.Lee@charlottenc.gov) with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services organizes native plant rescues at local sites scheduled for development—areas set to be clear-cut. During these rescues, you can dig up native plants to transplant into your own garden or share with friends. It's more than just a source of free plants—it’s a chance to preserve pieces of our local botanical heritage and gain insight into the natural conditions these plants thrive in. Many of these species are lesser-known and not typically found at nurseries, but they’re well-adapted to our soils and climate. Email Jennifer to get on the notification list for upcoming rescue events and maybe I’ll see you there.