Wipe Out Those Winter Garden Woes

Do you look at your garden at this time of the year and wish it were more alive? Spring has begun and life has started but is still not in full bloom. Well, there are ways to make your yard look more attractive and inviting at any time of year!

1. A non-gardening way to pretty up a front yard is to invest a few dollars in some inexpensive path lighting. The push-in mushroom lamps look quite effective when turned on, and will give your front yard some definition. Solar lights don’t even need hydro and give you that accent that you’re looking for.

2. Another thing you want to get rid of is the effect of winter, those dirty and sometimes murky green garden paths. Hose down your paths and wash your deck (don’t power wash the deck as this can do more harm than good) and get rid of that dirt and mold. Also check for mold at the base of your fences and house. This will brighten things up and make them look fresh and clean.

3. If you didn’t do it last fall (and I don’t as it can leave interest for the winter) then clean up the flower beds of the dead wood and leaves of last year’s garden. This always freshens up the yard and makes it look new.

4. If you live in a mild winter area, then you may need to keep cutting the lawn, but lift the mower slightly so that the grass is not cut so short in the winter.

5. You may want to put your potted plants in their ceramic containers on show. If this is the case, keep an eye on the weather forecasts and pop some bubble wrap over them if the weather is going to freeze.

6. Hopefully, you have already invested in a supply of evergreens, if not, now is the time for you to examine your yard and decide where you should plant some. Did you know there are bronze, yellow, silver and variegated evergreens to choose from? And remember to always include some blue spruce. Many of us also forget the brightness of berry evergreens like holly and rowan trees. (Sometimes referred to as mountain ash or Pyrus Americana)

7. Bedding plants such as pansies and forget-me-nots are quite hardy and can add a lot of color at this time of year.

8. There is also a modern day fad for decorative cabbages in cream and purple. These are a hardy decoration in the yard and can sometimes still look quite good from last fall.

9. If you feel you can't wait for your garden to wake up and come fully alive, then be sure to add some of the early bulbs into your planting plans. Most should have been planted last fall but there are some bulbs that can be planted in the early spring. If you can’t find them, there will be bulbs already growing at the nursery in pots that you can pop right in the ground for that fresh spring show. Bulbs like snow drops, daffodils, crocuses and tulips all come out in bloom very early and can be your reminder that summer is just around the corner!

Wiping out winter “by the yard”