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