Winterizing my garden. (10/15)

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

So every year I lose a couple of Japanese maples. I've now learned about aeration, soil components, and what just kills them outright. I'm hoping this year will yield survivors plus healthier garden beds.

I'm kind of holding myself accountable by posting here, what I'm going to try to do for the next 2 months or so. I plan to repot and plant a few items each day. I work at night, so I really have no excuse except for rain.

Yesterday I planted a Rose of Sharon, a gorgeous red hibiscus, 2 different trumpet
vines, a 'Gabor' lilac, and repotted an 'Inaba Shidare,' my 'Inazuma,
'and an 'Autumn Moon.'

The deer are trimming everything else in my yard. Had good luck with the Deer Stop this year. They won't touch anything it's on, but God forbid a plant produces a new leaf. All in all, though, I consider this a success and will be picking up 2 containers of it in the spring. I don't care for hose-end sprayers, plus my yard is huge. The ratio is 9:1, looks like glue, stinks as it goes on, but does not smell after it dries. Unlike other deer repellents. It withstood our lack of rain, but a good, heavy one last week did wash it off some things, I think, after its "life span."

My point in this is I'm also going to cut down what's left of dying annuals and put them into my Hugelkultur bed. That did sink about 5" over the summer. I didn't get any tree-trimming wood chips this year, so I'm probably going to have to suck it up and buy mulch.

- - - - - Edited to add - - - - -

I knew I was forgetting something. I was a lot busier than what I was remembering. I also planted 3, 'Robusta' white junipiers (were in BAD soil in pots. Surprised they made it.) and an Eastern cedar along my fence line, where my neighbor and I cut down some very skanky, junk cherries.

- - - - - End Edit - - - - -

What are you doing to winterize your gardens?

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Comments (6)

cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
10 years ago
I am hoping it warms up a little next weekend. If it does, I will plant a few perennials still in pots on the deck if the frost doesn't kill them. Planning to move them in the garage for tonight and tomorrow night. I will plant them no matter how they look, though. I also plan to try to put down some clover seed where the dogs have destroyed the grass in the back. Not sure if this is a good idea or not, but the seed isn't too expensive, so worth a try.

I also would like to try to get the back hill cleared a little, but it it so difficult to navigate that I may have to pay someone in the spring. I don't have a lot of annuals at all, so no worries there. I am debating whether to cut back the coneflowers this year now that the goldfinches have cleaned off all the seed. I rather like the look of them in winter, so we'll see.
CEFreeman_GW DC/MD Burbs 7b/8a
Original Author
10 years ago
Despite my own best intentions, it's been too cold (for this wimp) to get out and repot and plant bulbs. It's supposed to be warmer this week, so I will be back at it.

I also managed to strip a door Wednesday and Thursday. It's on the front porch, so with a little warmer weather (over 50!) I'll stain and wax it. I only have 5 more to go! Such a breeze with Citristrip. But... warmer weather...
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gingersnap1231
10 years ago
My garlic for next year is in the ground, along with some new flower bulbs. In anticipation of the frost last weekend, I cut down all the in-ground basil for pesto and brought the potted basil, dill, and the more delicate strain of rosemary inside. I also harvested all my peppers and tomatoes, regardless of ripeness. I got lazy and didn't cut them down yet, and amazingly the tomatoes are blooming again now. Don't expect to get anything else off of them this year though! I threw a frost blanket over my melons for the 2 nights we had frost, in the hopes that the last 2 melons would have a chance to ripen. They seem happy enough so far...
CEFreeman_GW DC/MD Burbs 7b/8a
Original Author
10 years ago
It sounds like you're definitely ready for winter. With these last 2 days of gorgeous weather, maybe those melons will cooperate. :)

I dug fence holes (or my neighbor did) to put up an arbor between our properties. It's a gorgeous hanging swing structure with the swing taken out. It's going to be cool as a gate.

This afternoon, I swear, BULBS!
madsquopper
10 years ago
Garlic is now in; mostly for the yard itself it's cleanup and mower mulching all the tree leaves as they fall off. Some of the more tender tropicals are now inside but things like canna and elephant ears are waiting until the first heavy freeze to be dug out and stored. I'll also put up rope or temporary fence barriers around some of the shrubs to minimize winter deer browsing.
CEFreeman_GW DC/MD Burbs 7b/8a
Original Author
10 years ago
How do you store the bulbs? I have some elephant ears and cannas I'd like to save...