Jukofsky: Weather change brings a late flowering

With so much going on in the garden now, it takes some thinking to narrow things down to what's important to know and how to figure it out.

The blooming schedule of flowering plants is unlike that of previous years: they're late to flower and much later to leaf out.

A tour of the Xeriscape Garden with the Southern Gardeners was postponed a week due to rain. There was concern that by the time the event was held, the azaleas would have ceased to flower. Not to worry. I should have known this from my own yard. They flowered late this year; the natives even later

It was curious, but fun; to have winter's kumquat tree fruit combined with spring's in ground amaryllis and daffodils on our holiday tables.

So what's going on?

I asked my long time garden friends but they were as puzzled as I.

It was Beth Evans who came up with an acceptable answer; It could be climate control, she said. From the records I keep, I've known for some time that our hardness zone has gone from Zone 8 to 9. In our Hilton Head Island yard, there was but one frost this winter. It was in February and I covered tender plants.

I'm so encouraged with our weather pattern that I'm making this spring the year I add more tropical plants to the garden.

I always grow tropicals in pots -- the better to move them around when a change in the climate comes. The bouganvilla and citrus trees that budded up while in the greenhouse are now making flowers and fruit on the deck with only partial sun.

The wolfberry (lycium barbarun) -- known as the goji berry -- is a favorite dwarf shrub with small red fruits and leaves that are edible. Its flavor suggests cherry tomato and licorice. The fruits can be eaten raw or cooked. I've never gotten that far since it does not like to be overwatered and I forget to take it out of the rain.

Some of the perennials in my potted garden are growing an April snack around the emerging plants. It's chickweed and it is delicious ands full of nutrients. The surprise is the hosta plant ( hosata ).Its spring shoots taste not unlike asparagus and are prepared the same way. Hosta montana and hosta sieboldii are thought to be the best varieties. Beware, though. It is toxic to dogs and cats.

Keeping hosta company on the toxic list is another popular Lowcountry plant -- the female sago palm.

Cycas revolute is from Japan, has dark green fronds, a compact growth habit and looks like it belongs in your yard. Unfortunately the female Sago produces seeds that have a toxic in them that can kill or sicken animals.

PLANT SALE

The annual Spring Island Native Plant Sale will be from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday on Spring Island.

THANK YOUS

Sixty-year master gardener and environmentalist Betsy Jukofsky has spent three decades on Hilton Head Island learning the peculiarities of Coastal Lowcountry gardening.

This story was originally published April 11, 2015 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Jukofsky: Weather change brings a late flowering."