(This is the second part of a two-part story about gardening in January by Jennifer Fairfield, owner of the Garden Mill.)
If you really can’t spend a whole month doing nothing for your outside garden, there is always planning for the upcoming season.
I like to take a look around the yard (from the comfort of my nice, warm house, of course), to see what I might want to put on my to-do list for spring. While doing this, I picture (or refer to the notes I might have remembered to write down), how different plants did in the different areas.
Are there things you need to move because they aren’t doing well where they are?
Do you want to add something to an area that is a little bare?
Did you see a new variety of plant in your travels or in a magazine that you really want to try this year? January is a good time to start working on your list of wants, desires, and must-dos for spring.
Once we get into the actual season, you’ll be too busy trying to keep up with the weeding, trimming, and mulching to remember what you thought of months before. So, write it down now.
Snow
Did you know that all this snow is actually good for something? Our weather has a tendency to be unpredictable, which can be hard on your plants, but the snow can act as an insulator, keeping the ground surrounding the roots of the plant a steady temperature.
When we get this much snow, though, it can be a little hard on your evergreens, weighing down branches enough to break them. Gently brush the snow off them to help prevent damage. But, don’t try to remove ice that is encasing branches. You can cause far more damage than the ice on its own. Let it melt off naturally, and enjoy the beauty of the ice sparkling in the sun.
When we do get a warm-up (we will eventually) and the snow melts, it can leave your plants vulnerable to the next blast of cold, if you didn’t get a chance to put mulch down in the fall. Giving your plants a good layer of mulch, even during a late winter warm-up, can help protect them from the extreme temperature swings we are bound to experience this winter.
There are other things you can be doing outside now, too, if you like being out in your yard no matter what the weather is like. Mostly, making sure your birds are well tended. Keeping the feeders clean and filled can be a time-consuming task, but one that will bring lots of pleasure as you watch your feathered friends show their appreciation for all your hard work.
Happy Gardening.
