Winter Is Coming - Art Knapps
By Jos Van Hage
Saturday, November 14, 2009 02:49 AM
Winter is quickly approaching so if you have not already wrapped cedar trees, Alberta spruce tree, or outdoor azaleas, and rhododendrons now is the time to it. Use burlap or reemay to protect plants from dehydration and extra protection, and string or netting to keep cedar branches from breaking due to heavy snowfalls.
Continue to water all those plants that are under extended roofs or near buildings until the frost goes into the ground. This is important in helping them successfully survive winter conditions. The vegetable garden should be cleaned up and if you still have any parsnips or leeks in the garden these can be harvested now as I think that it won’t be long before they become inaccessible. If you have good drainage in the garden try leaving a few parsnips and leeks in the garden over the winter and harvest them next spring. They will survive the cold and the parsnips are very sweet when left in the garden over winter.
Don’t forget to make garden notes of your successes and failures this past season. Also make a note of what plants you want to move next spring and where you want to move them, as you may forget when it comes time to doing it next year. I always keep track of what varieties worked well so that I can plant them again next year, as well as the varieties that did not work out so that the same mistake is not made twice!
Fill up the bird feeders and continue to fill them over the winter months as the birds will rely on them for their food. When temperatures become cold the food they eat will generate heat in their metabolism, so it becomes very important for their survival. Birds will add a lot of delight to the landscape and could make a bird watcher out of you. Pick up a book of the different bird species and keep track of which ones you spot. Use a variety of different types of feeders and feed to attract different birds. Suet is also a favorite for some birds and gives them energy as it is made up of protein fat mixed with seeds, nuts, fruits, or insects. If possible place bird feeding stations in a protected area, away from the wind and predators, and near trees as this will attract them more readily.
This is the time of year when you want to have everything cleaned up and put away, so put away the garden shovel and take out the snow shovel!
-Jos
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