I was in the garden on Sunday when it began snowing. Happy May Day! No one should have to wear a wool hat in May. But as the wind howled I had fun anyway, digging up plants for a sale that the Hennepin County Master Gardeners will hold later this month.
For gardeners, one of the few good things about this chilly spring is that it's been great weather to divide perennials. Although my fingers froze while I was separating my perennials, at least I know they won't suffer as much transplant shock when it is cool and wet.
But yesterday I had trouble finding hostas to divide. I wanted to divide phlox, meadowsweet (filipendula ulmaria flore pleno) and one of my favorite small hostas, "Golden Tiara." While sturdy stands of phlox and meadowsweet were easy to find, I had to search before I found a clump of hosta spears poking an inch out of the ground. I sank my spade in the dirt and pried a few pieces loose from a 10-inch planting.
When I took the hosta to a Master Gardener potting session, we got three flats – 36 new plants! – out of that modest knot of hosta. It wasn't hard. While we had to separate a few clumps with a knife, hosta often can just be gently pried apart and replanted.
So while you wait for warmer weather, divide away. You won't find a better time to do this.
If you're interested in the Master Gardener plant sale, it's on May 21 at the Hopkins Pavilion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Greengirls will be having a plant swap on June 4 in front of the Star Tribune building at 425 Portland Ave. S. from 10 a.m. to noon. Divide now, and your plants will look spectacular by then!