Well, it’s cold again. And I don’t know about y’all, but it makes me want to fly south for the winter or just plain hibernate. But despite our desire to settle down for a long, long winter’s nap, the great outdoors still has plenty to offer even in the dead of winter. That includes the garden on which you worked so tirelessly all spring, summer, and fall. There are plenty of ways to enjoy your garden in cold weather, and you ought to savor them for all they’re worth.
Enjoy Winter Flora
Most people forget that flowers other than poinsettias grow even in the winter. Quite a few options are available for people who want to add a splash of color to the blanket of white in their yards. Here are a couple of flowers that will bloom even when there’s snow on the ground:
- Snowdrops
- Hellebores
- Crocuses
- Winter jasmine
- Eastern snowbirds
- Winter aconites
- Glory of the snow
- Daphnes
Along with winter flowers, you can enjoy plants that don’t necessarily bloom but that still look good against the white landscape. I’m talking about plants that grow bright, colorful berries; bare-root plants; and evergreen shrubs.
Tend to Your Trees
Most people think of winter as the time to leave plants alone, but winter is the perfect time of year to tend to your trees. When you trim trees, you leave them vulnerable to disease-carrying beetles that can kill a tree in a year. The best way to avoid this? Trim trees in the winter, when the beetles are nowhere to be seen.
Word to the wise, though: trimming trees is more complicated and a lot more dangerous than trimming your garden shrubs. Trimming the trees in a way that doesn’t hurt the tree, your property, or those living on it is what arborists do. Trust me—leave it to the professionals.
Take Care of the Fauna, Too
Plants aren’t the only ways to enjoy your garden when it’s cold. Even though most of the birds have flown south, there’s still a plethora of birds to enjoy watching in the winter, from tiny, hopping house sparrows to bright red cardinals to those masters of aerial ballet, the starlings. We may not have a lot of carolers coming to the door this year, but with a bird feeder by the window, you can have singing anytime you want.
Winter is here, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy all the hard work you put into your garden. Besides, we all need a breath of fresh air or two to get us through until springtime rolls around again.
