News & Stories
Winter Gardening Tips
Winter is often misinterpreted as a dormant season for gardening, but did you know there are still many ways to continue enjoying your garden despite the frigid conditions? High Hampton Dahlia Gardener Drew English provided some insight into how you can get the most out of your garden during the Winter season, from utilizing unconventional floral options to garden prep for next Spring.
What makes Winter gardening appealing?
Winter gardens offer a menagerie of interest all year long, but the structural interest of a Winter garden can be some of the most appealing. While the color and lush foliage is gone over in the Winter, their stems, stalks, dried leaves and structure really shine though in the Winter months. Wintertime is perfect for pruning, preparing and improving soil for the coming Spring.
Early Winter is still a good time to get in your spring bulbs like daffodils, tulips, alliums and crocus. As long at the soil isn’t frozen, you’re safe to set these beauties in the ground for a colorful Spring display.
Winter is also a great time to prune roses. My rule of thumb that my grandmother taught me was to use Christmas Day as a time measure. By Christmas Day, you should have all your bulbs planted and can begin to prune roses. Taking off any vertical shoots from your climbing roses will promote flowering from the lateral canes. Shrub, garden and hybrid roses should be cut back by a third or sometimes more. It’s also helpful to remove any dead canes from the center of the plant, leaving less vulnerability for disease or fungus.
What Winter plants do you recommend?
Hellebores (Lenten Rose) and Gualtheria (Wintergreen) are two examples of great Winter interest plants. Camelias are another beautiful Winter blooming shrub, but be sure to research your regional zone to ensure they’re a viable option to grow in your area.
How should I care for my Winter plants and garden?
Remember to never prune Spring blooming trees or shrubs! The majority of these plants should only be pruned after they bloom in the Spring. Pruning too early will leave you bloomless the next flowering season.
As for watering, most plants in the garden are in a dormant phase during the Winter, therefore requiring less water. Mother Nature typically supplies all the rain/snow/ice needed for established plants to survive without supplemental watering.
Winter is also a great time to prepare your soil for the next gardening season. I always top dress my gardens and beds with compost or composted manure in the Winter. The nutrients have time to break down in the colder months and feed the soil and roots below it, come Spring. It’s also helpful to lay any fresh manure down in the Winter to give it time to break down the high nitrogen content, which could potentially burn plants if applied directly in the Spring and Summer.