| Just because the garden is asleep doesn't | | | | such as sunflowers, coneflower and foxglove. |
| mean there isn't plenty to do for winter | | | | |
| gardeners. Winter gardening takes advantage | | | | *If you want to plant vegetables this year, |
| of little or no plant growth at this time of | | | | now is the time to prepare your beds. Till or |
| year to force us to concentrate on admittedly | | | | spade under your chosen vegetable plot, then |
| less attractive, but equally important tasks. | | | | add organic matter and fertilizer and till |
| There are many things you can do this time of | | | | in. Allow to sit several weeks to settle, |
| year to make sure that your winter garden | | | | until proper plating time for your area. This |
| turns into the spring garden of your dreams. | | | | will prevent any hot spots in the garden from |
| | | | your organic matter and fertilizer, and allow |
| *If the cold permits, use the winter in the | | | | the soil to settle to prevent drying out of |
| garden to work on structure and hardscaping. | | | | the roots. |
| This is a great time to plan or build arbors, | | | | |
| built in seating, edging and paths. Winter | | | | *Start some seeds indoors to have plants |
| allows you to see the bones of the garden to | | | | ready to put out in the garden after last |
| help you visualize where it needs some | | | | frost. Now is the time to grow those plants |
| hardscaping. Perhaps your paths need to be | | | | from seed you can't find at the nursery. Your |
| redirected, or you see a spot that could use | | | | indoor seed growing station can be as |
| a trellis and some height. Take advantage of | | | | complicated as a deluxe indoor greenhouse |
| the bare winter garden to provide your plants | | | | with lights, or as simple as a re-used egg |
| with a background and structure. | | | | carton on a windowsill. Some easy plants to |
| | | | grow indoors from seed include most sun |
| *Use this time to redesign your flower beds. | | | | loving annuals and such perennials as Shasta |
| If you haven't already created a garden | | | | Daisy, Black Eyed Susan, Coneflower, |
| notebook, now is a good time to start. Draw a | | | | Coreopsis and many ornamental grasses. |
| diagram of each part of your garden, and mark | | | | Growing perennials from seed can save you |
| the spot of the flowers, shrubs and bulbs. | | | | hundreds of dollars, as the average 4 inch |
| You may have to add items as spring | | | | pot perennial sells for $3-$6, and a packet |
| approaches, and up pops that plant you had | | | | of seeds that might produce 100 plants |
| forgotten about! Get a basic layout of your | | | | averages $2. |
| garden, and consider what worked last year, | | | | |
| and what didn't. Note blank spots in the | | | | *Finally, go over all your tools and |
| garden, and use paper templates to try new | | | | supplies, and find out what needs repair, |
| combinations of flowers within your beds. | | | | attention or replacement. The last thing you |
| Color your paper templates to help you | | | | want is for that first spring day to arrive |
| visualize the effect on the garden. Make a | | | | and you rush out to pop those first seeds in |
| separate page for each plant you have in your | | | | the ground, only to find your gloves need to |
| garden, and note as much information as you | | | | be replaced or your spade handle is breaking! |
| can about it. | | | | |
| | | | Just because the weather is cold doesn't mean |
| *This is the time to browse those garden seed | | | | gardeners must sleep! Use the time wisely, |
| catalogs! Don't wait until spring, by then it | | | | and you will be rewarded with plenty of time |
| will be too late to grow from seed for this | | | | to enjoy those spring bulbs and fragrant |
| season for most plants. Consider ordering | | | | flowers in just a short time! |
| some new varieties of old garden favorites | | | | |