Perennials: If ground is frozen, finish mulching perennials and bulb planting beds. Place evergreen boughs over the mulch to keep it from blowing away. Protect rose bushes by adding soil or mulch as high as the graft on the plant.

Flowers: As new catalogs arrive, discard the old ones. Soon it will be time to think about ordering. Read more of this entry »

Q: Should I water my garden all the way up until the ground freezes?

A: If the ground is not frozen, you can still water as long as the ground will take in the water.
Since most plants are dormant, the amount of water that you use will not be as much as what you would use in mid-summer, but it is important that you continue to water until the ground freezes. Read more of this entry »

You’re probably too late for Christmas blooms, but if you get a pot of paperwhites going now you should have blooms for much of January — and maybe into February.

A handful or two of these no-fuss bulbs also makes an easy, last-minute gift idea. You can usually find them at nurseries, florists and home centers for between $1 and $1.50 a bulb. Read more of this entry »

Also from the GrowerTalks newsletter, by Jennifer Duffield White:

“I’ve been reading a fair number of positive reports that, on a national level, corporations are still planning to stay the course on their sustainability initiatives. Part of this, of course, is that many of the basic first steps of these initiatives are about efficiency and generally save companies money in the long run.

“So here are a few examples of what I’m hearing: Read more of this entry »

From the GrowerTalks newsletter, by Jennifer Duffield White:

“I’ve had lots of folks ask how to figure out how much carbon their flowers, shrubs and trees can sequester. Here’s one new development that may be helpful on the nursery side of things: The U.S. Forest Service has developed a new carbon sequestration  calculator for trees. It’s meant to help people estimate how much carbon might be sequestered over the lifetime of a tree they plant and to help direct them in choosing the right species for their climate.

“It might be interesting for garden centers to run different sample scenarios with the calculator and promote the results in their nursery stock sections (or to the city government). You can access the calculator application HERE. (Note, it only runs on Windows operating systems.)”

Here are a few tips from the Humane Society of the United States about what to do for birds and other wildlife in winter. After it snows, I’m always amazed at all the tracks running through the yard. It’s fun to try to figure out who they belong to.

“Caring for Wildlife this Winter Season
Backyard critters appreciate the generosity of the season

“This is the time of year when we can share our “bounty” with those around us, including the wild animals living outside our homes and in our neighborhoods, reports The Humane  Society of the United States. Raccoons, squirrels, skunks and other animals in our yards are grateful recipients of any goodwill that humans are able to show them this season. Read more of this entry »

From the Garden Education Center of Greenwich:

“WINTER SOLSTICE WALK
at the
Garden Education Center
130 Bible Street Cos Cob, CT 06807

“Saturday, December 20, 2008
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.*
Free of Charge
Reservations Required at: treeconserv@optonline.net
Meet and Park at the Garden Education Center

Join us for a twilight walk to enjoy the solace of the winter woods. We will start with a short program on the origins of the Christmas tree and then head out to discover the beauty of trees in winter. Light refreshments of the season in the Horticulture building at the GEC will be provided. Walk is being led by Greenwich Conservation Director, Denise Savageau along with Lisa Beebe, GEC Horticulturist.

Group size limited.
Easy to moderate walking.

Proper footwear is required.

*Note time change

Ask the master gardeners

Q: I would like to grow clematis in a container. How do I overwinter it outdoors?

A: Plant it in a container that holds enough soil to support a hardy clematis and is tolerant of freezing conditions. The tub/container should be a minimum of 24 inches in diameter and depth, but larger would be even better. This will insulate it from repeated freezing and thawing during the winter season. Read more of this entry »

Now that most of our gardens have finally gone to bed for the winter, it’s nice to have a few things in the yard that still throw off a little color. In December, my leucothoe shrubs take on a reddish, bronzy cast that looks particularly good in the first snowfall of the year.

The most common varieties in our area are Leucothoe axillaris, which is known as coastal leucothoe, and Leucothoe fontanesiana, which goes by the common name of drooping leucothoe. Both are slow-growing evergreen shrubs native to the southeastern United States. When fully mature, they reach a height and width of 3 to 6 feet.

The shiny, dark-green leaves are 2 to 3 inches long, and new leaves often emerge as reddish.

In late spring, you’re rewarded with clusters of white flowers that last for several weeks.

In hot and humid summers, leucothoe shrubs are susceptible to powdery mildew and various leaf-spot diseases. The leaves will also burn in the hot sun of summer, so give these low-growing shrubs a cool, shady spot in your garden, perhaps on the edge of a wooded area.

In the wild, leucothoe grows on dry slopes near water but not in the water. In the garden, give it humus-rich and acidic soil in a spot with good drainage. Do not overwater it, but you might give it a long drink of acid-loving plant food in the spring and summer.

Individual plants are not particularly attractive, so try massing them in a wide-open shady area. Leucothoe also makes a good substitute for the overused boxwood — or try planting it with pieris, which has a similar growth habit.

And like pieris, leucothoe is mostly deer resistant, except in the dead of winter when all bets are off when it comes to hungry deer.

(from our photo library)

Perennials: Spread some 5-10-5 fertilizer before mulching to give the plants an early spring feeding. Consider leaving a few flowerheads for winter interest. Caryopteris and buddleia should be pruned in early spring, not now.

Flowers: Remember that a butterfly garden requires larval plants for the caterpillars as well as nectar plants for the adults. Read more of this entry »