Just because the weather’s turned cold doesn’t mean gardening has to come to an end. I’ve found several things to keep me occupied in the garden so far this winter. We’ve now had a hard freeze that finished off the geraniums and impatiens in the pots around the yard. These needed to be taken up and replaced with cold weather plants. It’s also time to lift the Dahlia tubers for the season.
I started with the Dahlias. There were four of them planted along the drive that I wintered over from the previous year. They made quite a show this summer – large crimson flowers with bright yellow centers on four foot stalks. Digging down to lift the tubers, I was surprised at how large they’d become. Each plant will easily become two in the garden next year. I’ll either need a bigger Dahlia bed next year or a couple of friends who want some Dahlia starts – probably the latter since I’m not sure where I’d make a larger bed for these.
One of my Dahlias this summer
Next I tackled the pots of Geraniums and Impatiens. I always hate to see the Geraniums go. This year I had a variety called “Big Red” and they certainly lived up to their name. Nevertheless, they were ready to be replaced. I planted Mustard Greens in the center of the pot and ringed those with Pansies. I’ve never tried this combination before for a winter display so I’m excited to see how it works out. The Mustard Greens will get fairly large with purple tinted foliage that will make a nice contrast to the bright green leaves of the Pansies.
In the rest of the pots I planted only Pansies in place of Impatiens, Geraniums and other summer plants. There are far fewer options for garden color in winter than in summer and Pansies are the main option. Many people also use ornamental cabbage for winter color but I’ve had no luck finding any that I really like so far this season.
Other winter garden activities include taking in the hoses for the season and cleaning and storing tools. I make sure the tools are clean and dry and, using an old rag, coat the metal parts with some Linseed Oil. This is also the time of year when a few colder weather tolerant vegetables can be grown. A good rule of thumb is that green leafy vegetables and those that grow under ground such as carrots work well in cold weather. These few things allow me to keep a hand in during the winter months until I can again garden in earnest.
Check out Gardening Jobs for January from the Old Farmer’s Almanac for more tips on what to do in the garden during the winter months.
