By the time the first snow falls, most gardeners, having finished the fall clean up and planted their spring bulbs, are content to wait until spring to work in the garden again. If, however, you have no problem working in the snow or freezing temperatures you don’t need to put all those tools away just yet. Winter can be a busy time for gardeners so here is a gardening guide to help you get through winter.
Consider reworking the layout of your garden during the winter months. Think about not only what was missing in the garden during the previous season but also what would make the landscape more interesting during the winter. Berry producing shrubs such as holly (Ilex ) and viburnum (Viburnum )or large evergreens such as () are wonderful specimen shrubs and can color to the winter landscape. Deciduous trees and shrubs with unique bark or striking form can also provide the garden with winter interest.
Browse through all those gardening catalogs that are lying around or spend a little time online searching for the shrubs and flowers you’ll plant during the upcoming season. First, however, plan your new garden or update your existing one.
A successful garden relies on a thorough site analysis. Studying your garden’s environmental conditions including climate & micro-climate, sun & shade conditions, wind exposure, soil composition and existing vegetation is critical as it will enable you to make educated decisions regarding plant selection and planting plan.
Plant hardiness zone maps divide the country into zones based on the lowest average winter temperature. A plant that is adapted to your hardiness zone is one that can tolerate the lowest winter temperature your area generally experiences. Find out the zone in which you live and use it as guide during your plant selection process.
Pruning deciduous trees and shrubs is another job often left to winter. During the winter, while there are no leaves on the trees, you’re able to see more clearly a plant’s branching structure. Prune any branches which cross each other or that are growing inward toward the center of the plant. Any upward pointing branches on a weeping plant should also be removed. Remember to make your cuts just above the branch collar.
Snow will sometimes collect on evergreens during storms so be sure to shake off the plants if any has accumulated on the branches.
Remember to sharpen your tools so you’ll be ready to get to work when the ground thaws.
Though you won’t be surrounded by flowers or working the garden soil, the winter months give you time to maintain your garden tools, take note of your garden’s needs and plan for new garden projects.
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