Winter Gardening Secrets - About Evergreens
For those of us who live up where winter seems to last forever, having a winter garden can be a great way to bring a little gardening cheer into our lives and the lives of those around us. In the winter regions, trees are barren 6-8 months out of the year, and a thick layer of snow is constantly present. Beauty and variety is not only found in colors, but also in shape, texture, shades, and type. Green isn’t the only color that Evergreens come in, there’s blue-green, blue-grey, purplish, greenish yellow, gold, copper, bronze or brown. Green can be bright, or dark, dull, or vivid – shades provide brand new colors for you to work with in your winter garden. Round, broad leaves and long, thin needles provide a contrast in shape that will give your garden brand new scenery. Some leaves are softer and give a gentle look; others are harder and give a deeper view. Varying sizes help to space your winter theme into more than a regular garden.
Before choosing which evergreens to plant in your garden, think of the amount of snow you get and what type it is. If snow falls light, fluffy, and not in large doses, smaller evergreens and bulbs can be planted; however, if the snow comes in large amounts, bulbs and small evergreens will be covered and out of site for months. Also remember, with wet and heavy snow, a lot of breaking may occur and crush some of your smaller evergreens as well. All of these reminders are extremely important when deciding how to plant for your winter garden.
Evergreen Protection Tip
Something to note when planting evergreens, is the number of deer in your area. Deer are strongly attracted to some evergreens, especially in snowy winters when other foods are limited. Fencing your garden, putting bird net over individual plants, spraying plants with a repellent, and leaving a dog outside day and night will lessen your chances of young shrubs being stripped. However, if the deer population is high in your area, it’s a good idea to choose which to plant according to that.
Deer will strip the foliage from plants such as yews, arborvitae, rhododendrons, azaleas, and the winter creeper. They’ll also nibble on junipers, false cypresses, mountain laurel, pines, spruces, hollies, boxwoods, Oregon and holly grape, and andromeda depending on how hungry they are.
Broadleaf Evergreen Protection from Winter
Broadleaf evergreens need winter protection too, even though they are ‘hardy’ to cold temperatures. Dry winds and bright sun in the winter can put too much stress on these winter growing shrubs. When the ground freezes, roots beneath the earth can’t get water into the plant, therefore causing the roots, leaves, and even twigs to die. This will cause bareness for a few months before new growth appears, and it will weaken the plant.
Sudden temperature changes can harm the plant as well. To avoid this, plant evergreens on the north or east side of a building, because the south and west sides are much warmer in the day and then drop dramatically at night fall.
It’s also a good idea to plant shrubs under deciduous trees. In this way the trees bare limbs will cast enough shade over the plant to prevent winter sunburn. Planting a windbreak or building a fence is a wise thing to do, providing protection for your garden from winter winds.
Spray your evergreen shrubs with an anti-transpirant such as Wiltpruf; follow the directions on the label.
Also note that if rainfall is insufficient, remember to water enough to thoroughly soak the soil around each shrub before the ground freezes. Water as it freezes provides heat to your shrub.
Semi-Evergreen Herbs
Cold weather diminishes their fragrance and flavour, but several herbs can hold their leaves at least partway into the winter. Parsley will stay green and good throughout the fall. Herbs such as lavender, germander, garden sage, and thyme will stand up through several hard frosts or early snows before they freeze or are flattened. In the fall, if you cut away the old stalks, usually a new tuft of foliage will have grown at the base of herbs such as yarrow, calamint, horehound, lemon balm, catmint and oregano. The basal foliage will last all winter long, and will be ready to resume growth in early spring. Chives however, disappear in winter but it is one of the first herbs you can pick in the spring.
Evergreens are perfect for the winter, plant them and watch as they grow into a beautiful winter garden.
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