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*No Rest for the Weary Gardener in Winter
by Diedre Muns
Many gardeners do their planning in winter. It can be one of the most productive times for a gardener- looking through seed catalogues, deciding what to kill or move next season, sharpening and cleaning tools and pruning. It's a season of lists and calendars, and if it's not taken advantage of, you could really be screwed this spring when all the dormant weeds return to life. If you skimp on planning, you will be stuck purchasing whatever sunflower, bean and corn seeds Ed Hume has to offer and garish perennials from the grocery store parking lot. Your garden deserves more than that, so here are some winter tasks to help prepare for spring.
Winter is a time for reconnecting with the plants that raise the spirit: grapes, hops, corn, sugar cane and pot. What better time to stroll on the Internet and do some spring planning than when you are sauced on natures' bounty. It's a lot more productive than annoying old friends and forgotten lovers with your repeated, incoherent ramblings about how much you love them or how you've felt you let them down. Get a grip on that cabin fever and do something productive instead. The following is a list of my favorite sites to visit on snowy days to help you organize and get prepared. They are just as fun when you are sober.
* Red Pig Tools has a collection interesting and useful garden tools that you never knew you needed, like Grandpa's weeder, an excellent weeder for removing dandelions {we call it Grandpa's Wiener}
* Gardens Alive has everything from biological controls to seeds to gadgets for getting your seeds started. Treat yourself to some Lady Bugs or Natural Mole Repellant!
* Try Territorial Seed for vegetable seeds, gardener-related kitchen gadgets and really interesting gift collections. Some notables from the site are: a collection of essentials for canning, a digital steamer and a vegan fertilizer mix that uses no animal manure...for the ultimate in self-righteousness. Now all you need is your electric car and composting bin, and you are all set.
* Seed Savers is my favorite for interesting vegetables, especially the squashes. I do not know what they taste like, but they sure look cool.
* Seed Rack is great for rare and interesting plant seeds, including the Black Bat Plant, some tomatoes with husks and the Venus Fly Trap.
For those of you who get snow for at least part of the year, planning your garden for the next winter display is another fun project to tackle on a snowy day. While going for a walk in the snow, take a look at what is interesting. Ornamental grasses, Rudebeckias, Purple Cone flowers, Red Twig Dogwood, Yellow Twig Dogwood, Crabapples, Weeping Evergreens, Clematis seed heads, Hydrangea flowers, fennel seed heads and any tree with an interesting, craggy bark like Paper Bark maple. Birds need the seed heads for survival through the winter, so you will also be doing your feathered friends a favor when you leave them on the plants. If you are someone who sees seed heads as a constant reminder of death that you are simply not ready to deal with, try Yuletide Camellia, Witch Hazel, Azara and Sarcacocca. These are just friendly winter blooms that might just be the thing you need in the dreary months ahead. {They may even prevent you from turning your garden tools against yourself!}
And speaking of sharp blades, your tools will cut and dig much better when they are kept in good shape. Have a specific tool that you need to sharpen? Check out YouTube for expert information on just about tool in your shed. If you are not sure where to start, check out this article in Fine Gardening. It's a great starter article for those of you who've just realized, "Oh shit, this is something else in my life that requires maintenance." Once you get everything cleaned and sharpened, a large bucket of sand lightly saturated with new motor oil can help keep tools clean throughout the year. Just dip the tools in and wipe them off when you are done.
Should you have a mild, dry, sunny day in winter, that is the best time to prune, especially for deciduous shrubs and trees. You can actually see their structure and make some nice cuts. Check out plantamnesty.org for some great pruning tips. Do not just go out whacking without knowing what you are doing. Read up before you cut. Some plants will forgive you, but others will display your shameful act FOREVER for all your neighbors to see.
If this article has shattered your gardening dreams of laying around and doing nothing throughout the winter, here is one last bit of winter advice that might help. Stay out of the garden in the winter when it's wet, snowy or soggy. Many plants are fragile, and the soil is wet and easily compacted under your ample winter load. Many plants have also died back and you have completely forgotten where they were. You have no idea if you are stepping on a plant or not, do you? Best to stay in and let the Internet suck the hours from your life.
Diedre Muns owns and operates a wonderful landscaping business in Seattle. Visit Florabunga and leap from Yard to Garden!
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