CLEAN-UP.
Continue cleaning up old plant debris which might shelter pests and diseases.
If last summer's dead Morning Glories still adorn the fence, tear them off to
make room for new ones. Next spring consider planting perennial twining vines
such as Trumpet Vine, Clematis, Wisteria, Akebia,
Honeysuckle or a Climbing Rose that will eliminate the annual chore of clearing
the fence.
FROST. During a mild spell thoroughly inspect all the
perennials and newly planted shrubs to detect any that have been heaved out of
the ground by the frost; if so, carefully replant them. Continue planting
shrubs and trees as long as the ground is not frozen.
WINTER MULCH. Now is the time to recycle Christmas trees,
the branches of which make an excellent winter mulch
for perennials, vines and newly planted material. It is important to
distinguish between the Spruces which are worthless as mulch, because the
needles drop off, and the more expensive fir and Pine trees which stay green.
Pines have long needles, Spruce and Fir needles are short and rather similar,
but Spruce needles pulled from a twig leave no mark while Fir needles leave a
distinct depressed scar. Always lay down mulch during a frost period as it is
then less likely to shelter rodents. If available, a shredder will grind
Christmas trees into acid woodchip mulch for broadleaf evergreens. Collecting
leaf litter in the neighborhood and laying it on the soil makes good mulch too.
SNOW. Snow, of course, makes an excellent mulch, but be
careful to remove any snow originating in an adjoining street that may be
contaminated with salt. With a broom carefully knock heavy snow off evergreens,
especially if it is added to a previous load of frozen rain. In times of heavy
snow, children are likely to forget the existence of a garden. Discourage their
walking and playing in it. Put up posts with string between to mark garden
boundaries; height of string should be such that children cannot go under it.
BIRDS. If you cannot feed the birds daily,
at least fill the bird-bath with fresh water. Discourage pigeons by
using feeders with small openings and avoid scattering seed on the ground.
Birds' tastes in food vary: doughnuts, suet and bacon drippings will tempt chickadees,
nuthatches, and woodpeckers; an occasional winter resident robin or mockingbird
savors dried currants and raisins; cardinals, nuthatches, titmice and pine
skins will revel in a meal of ground raw peanuts; and an ear of corn is gourmet
heaven for cardinals. Sunflower, Millet, Bachelor Button, Coreopsis, Marigold
and Butterfly Weed seeds will attract chickadees, song sparrows and juncos.
Build a winter bird-shelter of brush, evergreen, and tree limbs in a protected
corner of your garden to protect birds during inclement weather.
SEEDS. If you have not ordered your spring catalogues by
now, do so! Good sources of seed are:
Park
Seed Company,
Seeds of Change, 888-762-7333, www.seedsofchange.com.
Pinetree
Garden Seeds,
New Gloucester, ME 04260, 207-926-3400, www.superseeds.com.
Recycle
packets of old seeds by mixing them with more recent packages of the same
variety. The old seeds that do not germinate will reduce your need for sowing
thinly and/or thinning the seedlings. Some seeds lose viability quickly even
when stored in the proper manner. Members of the Allium
family (onion) must be ordered each year (some will be all right for two
years). Lettuce, Parsley, Salsify, Sweet Corn and
Parsnip seeds should be planted within two years of purchase. Watermelon,
Spinach, Radish, Pepper, Pea, Okra, Endive, Chicory, Celery, Carrot, Cabbage
and bean may germinate, if kept in good condition, for up to five years.
Tomato, Cucumber, Mustard and Beet seeds may remain viable indefinitely if
stored in a dry spot at room temperature about 68 degrees. To test old seeds
for viability, Place them between pieces of damp blotter and wait a reasonable
period of time to see if they sprout, or immerse them in a glass of water --
dead seeds are more likely to rise to the surface. Continue collecting the
fruits of
PLANNING. The winter solstice has come and lengthened the
dark Christmas days. A prolonged mild spell will fatten the glistening
pussy-willow buds. Snowdrops and Winter Aconite may flower only to brave a
heavy snowfall. The Christmas rose or Hellebores (poisonous) will flower until
spring. It is one of the perennial plants not grown much, if at all, in city
lots.
When
the seed catalogues arrive, consider upgrading some annual beds by planting
work-saving perennials and small shrubs. Also prolific
self-sowing biennials, especially such "old-fashioned" plants as
fragrant Dames Rocket (Hesperis matronalis),
Silver Dollar (Lunaria), Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis sylvestris).
These three withstand some dappled shade from trees but not deep shade on the
northwest side of the building.
In
choosing plants, always remember the light conditions of your site: for shade (Hosta); for dappled shade (Nicotiana);
for sun (Portulaca, Marigold, Annual Phlox); for the
dry site (Prickly Pear, Yarrow); for the damp site (Astilbe,
King-cups). Obtain seeds to plant according to your requirements, not according
to mass marketers' powers of persuasion. Be aware that horticulture, because of
the demand for cheap mass-produced products, threatens to degenerate into a
monotonous suburban sprawl of red Azaleas and Marigolds; it is up to pioneer
city-lot gardeners to revive the growing of almost forgotten plants such as
Dame's Rocket.
Prepare
seed trays for annuals needing February sowing -- such as Nicotiana,
Torenia, Browallia and
Heliotrope.
BULBS. Make sure that bulbs and tubers stored for spring
planting are not suffering due to excessive moisture or heat. Check them for
rot, shriveling and sprouting. Adjust and correct storage conditions if any of
the three symptoms exist.
COMPOST PILE. When all autumn plant debris has been piled
up, continue to add kitchen vegetable material to your heap.