A rural landscape with two houses, one pale yellow with a red roof and one red with a brown roof, surrounded by trees and grass, under a cloudy sky.
Purple and pink primrose flowers blooming in dark soil with green leaves, surrounded by grass and small plants.

What Survived the Winter?

A Guide to Checking Perennials, Shrubs, and Trees in Early Spring

One of the first rituals of spring gardening is simple: walking the garden and taking inventory.

After a long northern winter, the garden rarely looks its best. Branches may appear brittle, perennial borders seem lifeless, and some plants look beyond saving. But appearances can be deceiving.

Spring is a season of patience.

Before removing anything, give the garden time to reveal what is still alive.

A landscaped garden with a gravel pathway, patches of grass, brown shrubs, and a stone retaining wall in the background surrounded by trees.

Perennials are often the first plants that we worry about.

Cut back dead stems from last season, but do so carefully. Many early shoots emerge later than expected, especially after cold winters.

Look for signs of life:

  • fresh green shoots emerging at the base

  • new buds near soil level

  • firm roots and crowns

Start with Perennials

Plants such as hosta, peonies, echinacea, and daylilies can be surprisingly slow.

If in doubt, wait.

A plant that looks dead in April may look perfectly healthy by May.

A garden with a grassy lawn, small yellow flowers, some purple flowers, and a stone retaining wall lined with rocks, with some decorative garden ornaments and a bush near the rocks.
Close-up of a young green phlox plant growing in soil, with a stone wall in the background.
Close-up of a grassy patch with white and yellow crocus flowers in bloom and a stone wall and house in the background.
A dense green shrub with oval leaves in front of a stone wall, with dry leaves and small plants on the ground.

Check Shrubs for Winter Damage

Shrubs often show winter stress more clearly.

Inspect for:

  • snapped branches from snow load

  • frost damage at branch tips

  • bark splitting

  • sections that remain dry and brittle

Use clean secateurs to remove dead wood until you reach healthy green tissue.

Hydrangeas, roses, currants, and ornamental shrubs often benefit from gentle spring shaping.

A garden with various flowers, including yellow daffodils, surrounded by green grass and shrubbery, with a stone border.

Trees Need Attention Too

Young trees are especially vulnerable after winter.

Check:

  • trunk damage from frost or animals

  • broken limbs

  • weak branch unions

  • fungal growth or cracks

Prune only damaged or crossing branches unless the species requires seasonal pruning.

A tree inspected in spring is far easier to manage than one neglected until summer.

Close-up of catkins hanging from branch of a hazelnut tree, with blurred branches and background.
A leafless tree in front of a red barn with a sloped roof, set in a green field with scattered rocks and some garden tools leaning against the barn. There are additional leafless trees and a house visible in the distance under a cloudy sky.
A young leafless tree with a black protective tree trunk guard, standing in a grassy area with other trees and bushes in the background, under a cloudy sky.
A small, leafless tree surrounded by dried grass and underbrush in a forested area, with taller trees in the background and an overcast sky.

Don’t Rush to Replace

The most common spring mistake is removing plants too soon.

Northern gardens operate on their own calendar. Sometimes survival looks delayed, not dead.

Give your garden time, and remember Spring is full of surprises.

Close-up of a lush green plant with elongated, pointed leaves radiating from the center in a garden setting, with a grass patch in the foreground and a stone pathway, rocks, and a red wooden structure in the background.

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