Winter Gardening Tips

Planning for Spring in Winter

Winter arrives and it’s time to start planning for your spring garden. Seeds may be ordered from garden catalogs and sown in trays or pots indoors until early March. Cuttings of fuchsia and geraniums can be started in a greenhouse, with an application of fungicide to prevent root rot. Bare root roses can be planted outdoors to a depth of 18” in a bed of compost, peat moss, or manure. It is a good idea to mix in some root starter or plant fertilizer to encourage growth.

Pruning and Re-potting Plants in December

December is a good time to prune rose bushes, by trimming them back to a foot or so, and removing any dead growth. Lateral or straggling branches on climbing roses should be tied or cut back. Attention should also be paid to house or patio plants that might be root bound. Circling roots that have grown out of the bottom of the container should be cut back to the soil ball and repotted, with a good potting soil, in the next larger size.

Creating Interesting Winter Gardens

Interesting winter gardens can be made with different flowering shrubs, such as Vibernum Bodnantense dawn and Prunus Autumnalis, a type of cherry shrub. These two shrubs attract butterflies and are extremely hardy. Vibernum Tinus, an evergreen plant with pink flowers, attracts small birds and provides shelter for them from the cold and predators. Other types of winter shrubs include the Garyya elliptica, an evergreen with catkins, and the yellow flowered Witch Hazel, which has a wonderful scent and flowers from Christmas until March. In addition, camellias, daphne, snowdrops, rhododendrons, and even hibiscus, in some regions, will add color to the winter garden.