Goodnight garden. WAIT! Why don’t you just extend the planting season! As the seasons change and temperatures fall, it’s easy to believe that it’s time to forget about the landscape until next spring. While things certainly slow down in the winter months, there are still plenty of options for your landscape. Perhaps, if we experience another mild winter, we can extend gardening throughout the entire season.
Granted, most of our hardy landscape plants will go into a dormant period and look asleep, but, we can do things that will keep our focus outdoors during the winter months. Certain plants can tolerate cold weather, and, some can actually grow if it is not too cold. So, after we have done our routine fall chores such as deadheading, cutting back, dividing and transplanting, leaf removal, etc., we can concentrate on other activities to keep us active and engaged.
Cool season flowers, like pansies and violas, can be planted in the ground or in containers. Many times these plants will continue to bloom throughout the winter and actually perform again during the following spring. Cool season vegetables can also be planted. Spinach, kale, carrots, beets, chard, and other greens can be grown in cool weather. Cold temperatures actually increase the flavor of these vegetables. Don’t forget about spring-flowering bulbs. Late fall is the time to plant bulbs such as Tulips, Daffodils, Crocus, Camassia, Fritillaria, Scilla, Allium, and Oriental Lily. Be sure to plant them in large masses and drifts. A single row of soldiers looks out of place.
Late fall is also a great time to plant shrubs and trees. As long as the soil is not frozen these plants will continue to produce new roots and become established before spring arrives. This gives them a head start for the growing season. Avoid planting groundcovers and perennials late in the season because freezing soil will heave them out of the ground.
So, instead of giving up don’t put that garden to bed! Get out there and make it come alive. Build something that can become an integral part of the garden. How about a cold frame, small greenhouse, fencing, a rabbit hutch or chicken coop, compost bin, trellis, arbor, or screening? New pathways can also be established. As long as the ground isn’t frozen there is a myriad of things to do to liven up the garden. Instead of tucking it in for a long sleep let’s rearrange the pillows and change the sheets