In Cambridge and the surrounding areas, we see some pretty harsh winters. While many homeowners take steps to prepare their homes for the winter, few consider winterizing their gardens.
Keep your garden protected this winter with these tips:
- Leave tall ornamental grasses alone as these are a great source of food for wildlife during the winter.
- Smaller, mound-type ornamental grasses should be cleaned up to prevent mice from seeking refuge in them.
- Tender-leafed shrubs, like Japanese maples, should be protected. Find out where the predominant wind is coming from and put burlap up to protect them.
- Most coniferous and evergreens, especially yew varieties, should also be protected from the wind. Take special care to protect young trees and wrap them with burlap.
- Most interlock, overlays and concrete shouldn’t be treated with salt, so use environmentally-friendly ice melters instead. Salt will take the finish off the stone.
- Don’t seal interlock, overlay or concrete surfaces. They can become slippery and dangerous with rain and snow.
- Add a layer of mulch to your beds to protect the plants’ roots from the cold.
- Before mulching, clean up plant debris. The more old growth and annuals that you leave over the winter, the more hiding places you’re leaving for pests.
- If you have a water feature, it’s important not to let the pump freeze. You may need to drain your pond or fountain to prevent damage.
- Deep water evergreen and deciduous trees once the leaves have fallen. This will help them get through the winter and be stronger in the spring.
- Plant spring-flowering bulbs to ensure colourful blooms in the spring.
- Cut back perennials to ground level and compost the debris.
- Bring small and potted plants indoors. Potted plants don’t receive as much insulation as those in the ground, so they may not survive the cold.
- Move furniture and decor to the basement, shed or garage. Any furniture or decor that contains glass could crack over the winter, and many other furniture materials aren’t made to withstand the cold and snow.
Once you’ve taken the steps to winterize your garden, it’s time to winterize your lawn! Find out how to prep your lawn for winter from Kerr & Kerr Landscaping.
