By Sarina Dellinger
For the Salisbury Post

Spring is here in full swing and the summer heat will be here before we know it. Many visitors have been busy admiring the scenery, whether for a casual stroll, family photos or a lunch picnic. If you’ve strolled Hurley Park around midday, chances are you’ve encountered our unofficial dog mascot, Samantha. She was the first visitor I met when I started at Hurley Park. Sadly, her owners bid her farewell last week, and the Hurley Park Staff will surely miss her daily visits. Nevertheless, we look forward to welcoming you and your furry companions to the park!

While we don’t plant many annuals around the park, we always fill the front entrance garden with seasonal delights. Staff have been growing these seedlings since February and we’re excited to showcase them. These include an array of strawflowers, zinnias, white swan marigolds and a few dwarf sunflowers. Growing your own annuals from seed is not only rewarding but also cost-effective, offering the chance to cultivate unique plants not commonly found in retail stores. We’re eager to experiment with different combinations for a vibrant entrance display. Check our selections as you visit this summer!

The Lib and Ed Taylor Garden always bursts into spring with a flush of flowers. The peonies, iris, and dianthus seem to grow up and pop with color overnight. The viburnum shrubs in this garden are full of flowers. Closer to the ground, the catmint is buzzing with pollinator delight. Soon, warm-season flowers will fill in any remaining gaps, making this garden a delightful spot to watch and revisit throughout spring and summer.

Always growing at Hurley Park are the weeds. In your own garden this time of year, be sure to pull any of those last winter-season weeds before they spread ripe seed. Hairy bittercress, chickweed, speedwell and creeping Charlie are on the top of my spring weeding list for many of our gardens. However, the warm-season weeds are quickly springing up. Things like smartweed, spurges and nutsedge have already started growing around the park. Additionally, any day you’re able to pull English ivy is a good day to remove it. However, early spring is the most effective time to use herbicide on English ivy. The new leaves in spring are more vulnerable to herbicide before they develop the waxy cuticle that protects it. We could continue discussing the various weeds to control this spring, but I must return to the park as they sprout as I type… Until the next article! Hope to see you in the park soon.

Follow our Facebook or Instagram @HurleyParkNC for updates about the park. If you would like to donate to Hurley Park, visit our website at salisburync.gov/hurleypark. If you have any additional questions or would like to book the park for an event, please give us a call at 704-638-5298.

Sarina Dellinger is public garden supervisor for Salisbury Parks and Rec.