Winterize Your Garden

by Weatherbug Meteorologist Stepahnie Blozy

Cindy Brown, Interpretive Horticulturist for Green Spring Gardens of Alexandria VA., says it's best to put your garden to bed when temps dip to the mid-30's to low 40's and frost is in the forecast, but as long as the ground hasn't frozen, you're not too late. Here are her tips:

1. Cut Back & Remove. Cut back your perennials to just above ground level and remove weeds and spent annuals. The rule of thumb is "if it's yellow or brown, cut it down."
   
2. Prune. Recycle evergreen boughs into holiday wreaths or use it as mulch. Don't prune ornamental grasses and sub-shrubs like lavender and Russian Sage.
   
3. Weed. You can never weed too often. Winter is a great time to seek out and destroy weeds in your garden - especially those like chickweed that thrive in colder temperatures.
   
4. Edge Your Beds. Give your garden a nice, crisp edge and prevent grass from creeping. Cindy recommends using a spade to dig straight down and come up at an angle, like making a checkmark.
   
5. Plant Spring Bulbs. Early spring bulbs (like crocuses) should be planted by November, but Daffodils and other late bloomers can be planted anytime before the ground freezes.
   
6. Establish New Beds. Place layers of wet newspaper and compost/mulch on the top of existing grass and weeds to create an optimum bed by spring.
   
7. Mulch. After the first freeze, spread a 4-6 inch layer of dried leaves, wood chips, pine boughs and compost to keep your soil temperature constant and mitigate the freeze thaw process.
   
8. Survey. Look at the "bones" of your garden and note the empty spaces and the plants you want to move in the spring. Use the winter months to plan your spectacular garden for the new year!
   

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