Landscaping in Winter
December 15th, 2017 | By: Heather Knapp | Blog
Blog
The winter solstice arrives next week, and with it brings many changes landscaping in winter. The solstice marks the first official day of winter, which brings colder days and soil temperatures begin to drop. The good news is the days begin to get longer now. Everything happens on a bell curve, the soil temperatures will drop, but will begin to rise again, bringing to first early sign of spring to the winter landscaping around us.
Landscaping in Winter: What to Expect
As the temperature on the bell curve comes back up,and soil warms up, that is our first sign of spring. Even if you can’t see it, bulbs are starting to get forced out of ground. Bulbs all winter are spent underground, developing and maturing throughout the winter. This is necessary so that come springtime, they can push their out of the ground. The shade trees, such as maple trees start to show their first spring appearances with tiny blooms. This is always a good sign of winter on its way out.
Landscaping in winter is the time of year to refresh and clean and prepare. This is always a good time of year as we get closer to spring to focus on hardwood pruning, and cutting back growth on your trees and plant material. Eliminate damage to existing plants and trees by removing snow and ice buildup throughout the winter storms.
Bulbs need to be in before winter, so they will come back by spring. Witch hazel starts blooming in mid February. In the latter part of winter cornus moss start to bloom, native shrub called mock orange start to bloom before March. The red flowers on maple trees are little signals that spring is coming, as the days are starting to get longer.
Winter Garden Ideas, Winter Planter Gardens for Color and Interest.
Winter time while cold and dreary, does not mean your landscape needs to be. Mother Nature takes it toll on the East Coast, but there are ways to add interest to your property with winter landscaping. Winter garden plants can be used in planters throughout the property. This is a common and easy way to add color during the colder months. The winter garden plants that are often used are holly, birch limbs, southern magnolia leaves, cypress, pine cones, and red berries. These will all survive the harsh temperatures and frost and snow. These custom displays and holiday displays are a fun way to add color and landscape to your home.
Start planning early vegetable gardens during winter as well. Vegetable gardens will be planted in late March right after winter passes. This is a good time of year to take advantage of pruning old perrennials, getting fertilizing done, and organizing the early plants that will get in towards spring. It is important to consider frost tolerant plants and vegetables, since early spring can still bring frost.
Scenic Landscaping offers a Custom Garden Enhancement Services and Maintenance Divisions. This division offers routine winter care and custom decor additions to your home. An example of landscaping in winter services we can provide:
Winter Landscaping Services {Periodic checks December thru March}
- This includes: General cleaning of gardens and grounds, selective winter pruning of, shrubs, evergreens and ornamentals as species dictate and tolerate. Snow and ice damage monitoring to relieve weight and stress of snow and ice covered plantings.
We also provide an extensive catalog of urns, planters, and fountains to match your home and garden. These are easy additions to enhance the natural landscape all year long. Our award winnings crews are highly trained and dedicated to their craft. Please feel free to reach out to us to learn how we can help your property during the winter, to ensure the very best come springtime.
