male sharpening garden pruners

Winter To-do list

Anyone who thinks that gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year; for gardening begins in January with a dream – Josephine Neuse

Creating Winter Interest in the Garden

As gardeners, we have a tendency to concentrate our efforts on spring and summer while often neglecting the fall and winter. When choosing plants, keep in mind things like branching habits, color, unusual bark, persisting seeds and berries, or swaying seed heads of ornamental grasses. These features will keep your landscapes alive and interesting throughout the winter months. There is still time to add some plants to the garden that can reward you with a beautiful garden every day of …

Preparing your Roses for Winter

It’s not something that you want to think about, but winter will be here a lot sooner than we would like and now is the time to start thinking about getting your roses ready for winter. Do not prune your roses now. That should be done in the spring. Do not fertilize past the first week of September. You want the plant to put most of its energy into the roots, not producing flowers.  You need to protect the graft, …

Decorating with Cut Greens

Cut greens are perfect for bringing any home to life in a season when the garden is closing down. Cold weather or not, we still use our entryways, front doors and driveways and it is important to keep these places welcoming, not just for others but for our own sense of well being. One of the most popular and effective ways of using cut greens is in planters or urns at your front door, driveway or walkway. Already existing planters and window …

Cyclamen

Cyclamen plants make excellent winter blooming houseplants with minimal care.  Cyclamen are typically available in a wide range of beautiful colors; pinks, reds and white. These beautiful colors are perfect for providing that jolt of color and life needed for the upcoming winter months and the silver marbling on the top sides of the leaves makes the foliage beautiful as well. The key to keeping cyclamen happy and healthy is to replicate their natural environment as closely as possible following these steps: …

Benefits of Snow Cover

Though most of us think of the hazards related to accumulated snow fall, as gardeners we need to look at snow a little differently and somewhat positively. Snow cover, similar to the 24-40 plus inches we had in 2007 provided benefits to our soil, plants and shrubs. Primarily, snow cover acts as an excellent insulator of the soil. Snow cover helps keep the soil from freezing deeper and deeper thus preventing root damage. Second, with enough snow to cover small …

Overwintering Rosemary Indoors

Most herbs taste much better fresh, and rosemary is no exception. That’s why every winter I try to keep my rosemary alive in a pot inside the house. Rosemary really pairs well with roasted lamb, garlic, and olive oil. It is also a nice addition to potatoes, bread, tomato sauce, pizza, and pork, but you might want to use a light hand because the flavor can be strong. Rosemary does best in a sunny, southern or possibly western window, where …

Winterizing your Garden

In autumn or before the first hard frost, remove all annuals from beds, borders and gardens. These may be added to a compost pile.  Hand pull weeds, bag and dispose elsewhere. In autumn or late fall when perennials have finished flowering, cut back top-growth to the ground or crown of plant unless you leave seed heads for birds to feed on. Clear weeds from the surrounding soil, leaving beds and borders neat and tidy. Quick Tip: If it’s brown, cut …