It’s time to start ordering your native plants!
Does the cold weather have you counting down the days until spring? Not to worry, there are many steps that you can take today to prepare your garden for the changing season!
Order Bulbs and Seeds
A perfect activity for a snowy or dreary winter day is to look at and purchase summer bulbs that will start blooming in June through October. Ordering them through a catalog before the growing season can ensure you’re getting true native plants that will flourish in your garden. Some varieties that do particularly well in our area are caladiums, begonias, cannas, and gladiolus.
If you like to plant seeds in your yard, on a nicer winter day, you can start sowing seeds that need a longer growing season like geraniums, peppers, or aubergine, although they may need a heat source if it gets particularly cold again.
Clean up Garden Beds
A more mild winter day is the perfect time to tidy up your garden and get rid of leaves and other debris. Cutting back dead growth on your grasses and perennials is also a good idea now, but if you’d like to attract wildlife to your yard, you should hold off until early spring.
Hunt Down Pests
Since pests are more likely to be hibernating during this time of year, it’s the perfect time to hunt them down and get rid of them before they impact your garden. Pay attention to the crowns of your perennials and look for slugs, snails, or aphid colonies.
Fix Fences, Gates, or Trellis
Another mild-day activity is repairing any wooden structures you have in your yard. Since nothing is currently growing on your wood features, this is the best time to fix them up so you can spend more time in your garden. Make sure to treat your wood with a preservative so it doesn’t dry out during the winter too.
Clean your Garden Tools
Did you know that your garden tools can spread bacteria or fungi to your garden? When you’re not using them in the winter is the perfect time to clean them up and even get them sharpened.
Consider a Composting Area
If you don’t already have one, consider building a compost area in your garden. You can put all of your yard waste in it, including grass trimmings and any woody prunings you have. However, you can also put vegetable peelings and paper in it. Not only will you decrease your carbon footprint, but compost produces a rich soil when it breaks down that is great for your plants! Make sure to get a garden fork of you don’t already have one; you’ll need to turn the compost at least once per month.
AMERICAN NATIVE PLANTS
Whether you are looking to beautify your yard or restore an entire local wetland, American Native Plants can provide you with the right plants for the job. We have an inventory of over 100,000 native trees, shrubs, and plants, including those that will keep the deer away! American Native Plants your one-stop shop for wholesale native plant needs. Peruse our catalog, give us a call, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+! We look forward to hearing from you!