Winter here usually starts in fits. Reminders begin in October, hasten along
in November, may or may not appear in December. But in most years, January
leaves no question of what the winter is about.
You can put off planting bulbs until November, but all should be safely
tucked in by January, the first. Snow cover here is very undependable, so
those plants without mulch may well heave from the ground and freeze dry in
blasting winds. Ice sometimes covers twigs and branches; and snow, when it
does appear, may be heavy enough to break branches from the evergreens.
What one can expect to do in the garden? It seems that gardening is a year round activity. There is always something to do. If you can’t think of any gardening tasks, here are a few tips to get you thinking.
Watering: Just because the weather is cold, doesn’t mean the ground has frozen. The ground takes longer to cool off than the air does. As long as the ground is not frozen and can accept water, you should water at least your evergreens. Most of the other plants are fairly dormant by now and not using much water. Evergreens, on the other hand, keep their needles all winter and can lose water through those needles. Keeping water supplied to the roots on a weekly basis as long as possible into the fall and winter season will help reduce stress on those evergreens.
Snow and ice on trees and shrubs: As we get into winter, the threat of damage from snow and ice is sometimes a problem (but not usually in the South). If and when snow piles up on evergreens, try to gently brush it off. Don’t shake the branches as this may cause them to break. If the snow is frozen on the branch and will not brush off easily, it is best to let it melt naturally, to avoid damage to the tree or shrub.
If tree limbs break due to the weight of ice or snow, it is advisable to have the broken limbs removed as soon as the weather permits. Hanging branches can be a danger to passing pedestrians. Also, the tree will be able to heal the wound better in spring if the wound has clean edges instead of ragged tears.
Warm spells in winter: Sometimes in the middle of winter, we suddenly get a few warm days. For the most part, this is not a big problem, but you may need to check on a couple of things. If you covered your roses with rose cones, you may need to ventilate the cone to prevent heat from building up inside. The same should be done with coldframes. If it is a warm, sunny day, the temperatures may be rising in the cold frame more than you expect. Remember to close vents as the temperature drops again at night.
Holiday plants: Turning to the indoor environment, we need to keep our holiday plants fresh and blooming. Most of our blooming holiday plants prefer to be in a cool room. This keeps the plant in flower longer. Most holiday plants also need a bright room (some do well with direct sun, others do not). Keep these plants out of drafts to keep them in good health.
Seed orders: If you order seeds from a catalog, get your order in by the end of January. Early orders help insure that you get the seeds you want and that you have them in time to start them indoors if you want.
Nuisance insects: It is very common to find insects meandering around the house in winter. All kinds of critters come into the house looking for a place to rest for the winter. Common nuisance pests are boxelder bugs, houseflies, squash bugs and the multicolored Asian ladybeetles. As you encounter nuisance insects, just vacuum them up. Avoid smashing them as some leave stains or odors when smashed.
Store
the garden tools and furniture for the season:
Put your furniture away for
the winter, empty hoses and store them, and turn off the outside water
faucets, since drips can cause freezing and cracking.
Think about constructing a bird house or two. A book of plans, some simple
materials, and you just might have a little bird family move in for the
winter. Or you just might like it so well you will need some for your shelf
and some for your garden.
Winter Favorites: "Harry Lauders" Contorted Filbert, Contorted willows, Redtwig Dogwood, green-stemmed Kerrias, evergreen shrubs, but especially the Chamaecypress. Berried bushes, showy rosehips, pyracantha, cotoneasters, crab apple trees, all bushes that hold their berries will provide some interest.
One of my favorites is the Hydrangea family. Some of them hold their flower forms throughout winter to catch the snow and give a ghostly appearance of summer flowers. The climbing hydrangea has interesting peeling bark, although the sometimes strong winds keep blowing it off, it usually holds fast to whatever structure it grows on. My solution is to tie it in place in a few choice places. This vine requires almost no pruning and grows gracefully and strongly. The Anna and the tree hydrangea are lovely all year, each with a different form.
Monthly Tips: Choose from the following winter months for more exact tips of what to do during that month.