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LANDSCAPES: Winterizing Your Garden
LANDSCAPES
Winterizing Your Home Garden
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Kentucky Landscaper Shares Tips for Getting Your Garden & Landscaping Ready for Winter
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By Bill Henkel & Kirsten E. Silven Photography Courtesy of Bill Henkel
As the weather turns cooler and the nights grow longer, it’s important to prepare your garden and landscaping for winter and protect and prepare it for the following spring season. From caring for equipment to nurturing the soil and heading off minor issues before they become major, here are four areas to consider that will help your garden and landscaping survive the short cold days and bitter nights that winter brings to Kentucky.
Annuals & Containers
Be sure to remove all annuals and compost them for next year’s garden, then clean and properly store all containers according to the manufacturer’s recommendations (each container will have different requirements).
“Keep in mind that certain containers are designed to be winter resistant and can be planted all year round, while some cast stone containers are actually weatherproof and can be filled with seasonal plants and other materials for fall, Christmas and spring bulbs,” shared Bill Henkel of Landscape Workshop (formerly Henkel Denmark).
Finally, if you are looking for ways to bring some cheer to long winter nights, consider installing a decorative metal or wooden trellis to adorn with twinkling lights. This easy move will create a functional yet elegant focal point and brighten dark exterior spaces.
Shrubs, Perennials & Beds
It’s also necessary to touch up and lightly prune all shrubs, as well as cut back any tall perennials that have died back and compost the clippings. In the garden beds, be sure to order and install spring bulbs—daffodils for naturalizing, tulips for containers and crocus anywhere.
“Just be sure to order bulbs early in order to get the best selection and quality,” Henkel recommended. “And plant them before the soil gets cold and wet.”
Finally, cut a new edge to all beds and remember, it’s okay to allow leaves to compost in the beds wherever they fall, but if you prefer a more managed look, you can opt to clean out all beds of leaves and other debris, then top dress them with 1-2 inches of high-quality compost. You can also top dress your beds with a blend of compost and pine bark mini nuggets at a 50:50 ratio mix. This will help the beds sleep safely with a clean, crisp look throughout the winter months, then awaken with a roar when spring rolls around.
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Lawn
Avoid bagging leaves: instead, mulch them into the lawn or deposit them in a backyard composter. You can easily mulch leaves with your lawn mower by mowing twice in opposite directions, just remember to service and clean the mower after the last cutting and mulching is complete. Also, if you have trees or shrubs that experience fungal issues during the growing season, rake up the leaves around them and put them in the composter.
“Power seed the lawn with high-quality fescue, bluegrass or a blended mix of grass seeds that are recommended for this area,” Henkel added. “Newly seeded areas will require regular watering for at least two weeks after germination.”
In addition, be sure to mow newly seeded lawns as soon as they are ready. Just set the mower on its highest setting and apply an organic lawn fertilizer after the third cutting.
House & Equipment
Although it might not seem obvious at first, there are also a few necessary steps to winterizing your home and equipment. Start by removing and storing all hoses, then clean, oil and store your garden tools. If you have an irrigation system, that will also need to be winterized, and most fountains and water gardens should also be cleaned and prepared for the winter months by removing pumps to store in a heated area and waterproofing as needed. Also, wash all of your windows—after all, it’s no fun trying to view your garden through dirty windows and natural light is always at a premium during winter. Finally, clean all gutters after the last leaves have fallen, and make sure all downspouts are draining. Make sure your basement sump pump is functioning properly.
“Winterizing is all about timing,” Henkel shared. “Every garden is different and we specialize in meeting clients where they are in terms of how much maintenance they want to take on.”
Just remember, don’t get overwhelmed—winterizing your garden and landscaping is an integral part of preparing your lawn, flowers, vegetables and shrubs for a long winter’s nap so they will be ready for the next growing season!
