BY L O I S T R I G G C H A P L I N
SNOWBALLS FOR SPRING
STARTING SEEDS INDOORS
What are those big hydrangeas that bloom in March? They’re not. They aren’t hydrangeas at all. They are viburnums! It could be any of these three: Chinese snowball (Viburnum macrocephalum), Eastern snowball (Viburnum opulus), or fragrant snowball (Viburnum x carlecephalum). Each has large, round clusters of small flowers that look like a hydrangea, but they are rounder and they bloom earlier. The blooms begin as smaller, lime-green clusters that gradually change to a creamy white as the snowball enlarges. In the landscape, these can grow 8 to 15 feet tall and almost as wide in a multitrunk, tree-like form. The big bloom clusters on long woody stems reward flower arrangers tasked with big arrangements such as a wedding or church altar. Spring is a good time to shop for these plants as even the ones in nursery may sport a few blooms.
Sowing vegetable seed directly in the ground can be a challenge because soil-dwelling pests such as roly-polies, slugs, or caterpillars can chew the tender seedlings to a nub. Thankfully, Bonnie Plants starter plants make it easy to start a spring garden. However, like all die-hard gardeners, I always have packets of seed catalog temptations that I must start myself if I am to grow them at all. I have found that soaking seeds, or keeping them between wet paper towels until they sprout, helps me get the plants up more quickly. Setting the soaking bowls or plates with seeds atop a heated seed-starting mat speeds germination. I change the water or check the paper towel daily and remove them at the first sign of sprouting. From there they go to the garden or to a cell-pack to grow to transplant size. Round seeds and large seeds are easiest, as it is awkward to soak and handle flat seeds such as
Snowball Viburnum
Soaking Seeds
February/March 2022
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