Written by JOHN KATTERJOHN
It’s the dead of winter, and you are longing for those warm, sunny summer days in your garden. Gardening may not be possible. Regrettably, those days are still months away, but there’s still plenty that you can do to get your gardening fix, and be ready to hit the ground running this spring. Take a look at this winter gardening planner for just a few ideas of things you can be doing now.
January
- Peruse horticulture and gardening magazines and catalogues
- Review your garden and see how you might rearrange things
- Hire a designer to create your new outdoor room and planting
- Clean and sharpen gardening tools
- Clean and repair birdhouses and birdbaths
- Clean leaves out of fish ponds (if it’s not frozen, don’t disturb the fish)
February
- Prune plants that have grown out of bounds, rejuvenate shrubs
- Prune suckers and deadwood out of deciduous shrubs and trees
- Clean pots and get them ready for spring and summer annuals
- Note where your spring bulbs are coming up so you can plan for next fall’s planting
- Repair dry-stacked stone walls and level stepping stones
- Build something for the garden (arbor, fencing, screening, coldframe,etc)
March
- Cut down ornamental grasses and other perennials
- Divide and transplant perennials that are showing new growth from the base
- Transplant trees and shrubs to new locations
- Fluff up mulched beds and add new mulch if necessary (no more than 2” depth)
- Apply fertilizer and work into mulch and/or soil
- Sit back and enjoy the life that is coming with the new season