NOW THAT WE’RE WITHOUT DAYLIGHT SAVINGS, and “with” the first snow, it seems the moment to ask: What do you want to do together this winter? Shall we all just hibernate silently in our individual (garden) beds, like the woolly bear caterpillar above in the discarded nest, or keep the conversation going and pretend it’s not happening? I asked the same question a year ago today, and you all said “onward.” So shall we compare calendars?
As I said in my November 8, 2010 post, the A Way to Garden philosophy (developed through a very unscientific 25-plus years of digging holes) is that the garden is a 365-day companion, and that the season never ends.
You can hear me talk about that notion in today’s podcast with my friends at Robin Hood Radio, by the way. Or in the “woo-woo video,” as I call it, that I made this past spring. It’s right here (though you have probably seen it):
WITH THAT ‘WE NEVER CLOSE’ attitude, I will continue posting and also sending newsletters* in the hopes that all gardeners have plants on their minds no matter what the weather delivers—and speaking of weather, did I mention it snowed for the first time today? Egads.
(*What? You don’t get my free newsletter? Register to receive it by clicking here.)
So what else is on my winter schedule so far, besides salting, sanding, shoveling—and a stack of books and Netflix?
This will be a unique winter for me, or at least distinct from any other in more than a dozen years, in that I will have a book coming out, “And I Shall Have Some Peace There,” about walking away from my “successful” career and city life to finally live here in the garden, connect to nature, and write again. There will be lots of to-do’s related to that, including lectures and bookstore events (the
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Autumn slowly settles in and the pretty flower gardens lose most of their charm. However, every cloud has a silver lining, which means it’s time to admire the pretty autumn foliage that trees offer. Did you know that the ancient Celtic druids used to worship trees?
Winter season doesn’t mean you have to turn your back to your flower garden until spring comes. There is a good number of plants that bloom beautifully even in the coldest of weather. Let’s dig into their world and see which ones you will fancy.
How you manage garden pests and diseases is a personal choice, and there are many management philosophies. Two of the most common methodologies are integrated pest management (IPM) and organic pest management. IPM was developed in the 1970s as a response to conventional gardening practices that relied heavily on pesticides. In contrast to those practices, IPM promoted sanitation, the use of disease- and pest-resistant plant varieties, and monitoring pest populations.
What can gardeners do in winter? The answer lies in the soil! but to old gardeners it is still ‘Beyond our Ken’. I often spent too long polishing my good intentions this includes planning to send my mower for servicing and sharpening’ a shame I do not plan to polish up my other important gardening implements.
My mother very successfully grew Geraniums (pelargoniums) as indoor pot plants for many years. For the majority of gardeners the zonal geraniums are an outdoor feature of brightly coloured flowers that are often treated as annuals.
When deciding upon which trees and shrubs to plant in the landscape, I always suggest that gardeners consider plants that offer more than one season of interest. This aspect of consideration is usually not taken into account by most of the people that I speak with, but it certainly should. Especially since there are so many great trees and shrubs that help to brighten up the often-dreary winter landscape. There are several shrubs that flower in winter, some that display vibrant fruit, have interesting form or beautiful bark.
Woody ornamentals can be damaged by cold temperatures due to three main factors: lack of hardiness, early or late-season frosts or unprotected root systems. A lot of the damage that I have personally encountered has been due to low temperatures causing bark splitting. This type of damage is often difficult to diagnose because the effects are usually very delayed.
I don’t know about you, but I love a product that can be used in a variety of ways and has staying power, especially in the home and kitchen. I recently discovered fall/winter squash and the varieties and versatility that they provide. I knew about the typical winter squash that you see in the grocery store like Acorn, Butternut, Spaghetti, Pumpkins, and decorative gourds, but have been introduced to other varieties like Honey Nut, Kabocha, Carnival, Turban, Banana, Red Kuri, Sweet Dumpling, and Buttercup.
Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) is a seldom-used shrub/groundcover/vine that has some wonderful attributes. It is deer and pest resistant. It also tolerates our summer heat and is drought tolerant once established.