Some people
consider winter a time to tuck yourself and
your plants up warmly against the cold
weather, but even if you aren't expecting
your garden to be covered in snow, there are
still things you can do to keep your
backyard in good shape until next spring.
Don’t think that the snow and cold winds are
going to spoil your yard and you’ll have to
re-do most things in the spring. On the
contrary, a little bit of extra care and you
might have a flourishing lawn even in the
winters. This will depend
largely on the part of the country you live
in. If you regularly experience snow and low
temperatures during the winter, there are a
few things you can do to prepare your
backyard for the cold season and keep your
plants healthy.
Between snowfalls,
if your garden includes the right plants,
you can enjoy great color through out the
year. Even if it’s too cold for flowers and
the leaves
have fallen from the trees, you can still
enjoy a colorful garden.
Here are a few
gardening tips to help you add a little more
zest this winter.
Look at the brighter side: During the
winter, you get to see what's underneath
some of your favorite summer plants. If
your gardening includes bushes like,
say, red twig dogwood, you can enjoy the
architecture of the red branches even
after the leaves fall. When you're
buying plants, consider the winter look
their branches alone will offer. Nothing
brightens up a winter garden quite like
berries. You can think of sprucing up
your lawn with them.
Think Four season gardening: Winter
gardening is not a contradiction in
terms, so yours doesn't have to be drab
half the year. With some four-season
thinking, you can put together plants
that will look great in the height of
the growing season and in the
depth of winter. Think of the evergreens
that can still be standing tall in the
cold. A large evergreen serving as an
anchor in the lawn can do wonders to the
landscape.
Watering:
You should not stop watering your
plants just because you think the ground
is frozen. Although most plants lie
dormant during winter and do not require
much water, you still have evergreens to
think about. If you have evergreens on
your winter garden, you should try to
water them enough to soak their roots.
This is because the frozen ground really
does not allow your evergreens to take
in much water.
Snow and ice – Never let snow and ice
accumulate on your plants. This may
cause a lot of damage to your plants if
left unchecked. However, you should also
avoid removing the snow in such a manner
that will damage the trees or plants.
Plan: When planning what to do in the
winter months, always consider the
following things. Plant hardiness,
Climate in your area, sun and shade
conditions, soil composition and
existing plant structure.
Think Indoors: If the area where you
live is too cold and snows perpetually,
then you could think of shifting your
garden indoors. From simple potted
plants to an elaborate herb garden,
there are a lot of options for indoor
gardening.
Gardening need not be a drab or dreary in
the cold months. Don’t let your spirits take
a back seat as the winter sets in. combine
your creativity with some of the tips
mentioned above and you’d do well.
