Rhododendrons aren’t looking their best this year and it’s not certain how well lilacs will do following last year’s long dry spell as gardeners gear up for the start of seasonal planting. 

“We have heard this year that the rhododendrons are looking really rough. It could be that drought” that ran from mid-summer to the start of winter, said Ana Gourlay, manager at Blackforest Nursery in Boscawen.

She said the issue is that “when evergreens go into the winter dry they’re more likely to have wind damage,” resulting in brown, curled leaves.

Unless entire branches appear dead it’s best to wait and see how well the bush bounces back later in spring before  pruning.  Scratch the bark on dead-looking branches with your fingernail. If there is green wood underneath, the branch is still alive and may push out new growth. If it’s brown underneath, the branch is dead and you can prune it off.

As for that other spring show-off, lilacs, we’re in wait-and-see mode.

“Lilacs had a hard time last year and they create their flower buds the previous year. So it will be interesting to see how much bloom we see this year in light of the damage last year,” she said.

The seemingly endless rains that started in late April have ended the drought in the Concord area but raised the specter of flooding.

“Most New Hampshire gardeners do some kind of raised beds just to improve their soil. That gives some protection from flooding,” said Gourlay.

Overall, she said, there seems to be an increase in interest in “edible plants” – vegetables, fruits, berries and tubers like potatoes.

“We’re seeing people are planning on doing large vegetable gardens this year,” she said, adding that even if you don’t have much space for a garden, anybody can start a garden in pots on the patio or in the driveway. 

Just be prepared to work at it, she added.

“Growing is much more complicated than a lot of people think. The  experience of trying to grow your own food does give you more appreciation for our farmers.”