“WHAT TO DO IN THE GARDEN THIS WEEK” - January Week Two , submitted by Winestained
As I sit inside watching the snow fall waiting for the next round of shoveling my sidewalk, it is a great time to begin writing my first installment of “What to do in the Garden this Week”. I know, it may seem crazy at first thought, but there are garden related projects we can do even in the dead of winter.
As a youth, we always dismantled our holiday decorations and Christmas tree on the Epiphany. My family grew up in a rural setting and we would place the tree in our backyard. The tree then was used as a shelter for rabbits, squirrels and other furry little friends. My brothers and sisters and I would then make bird feeders using pinecones, seeds, suet, etc and hang them from the higher branches for our feathered little friends to enjoy. Each morning we ate our cereal in front of the patio windows and we watched the frenzy of activity. (Wow, I guess I am still filled with the warm glow of holidays as I remember those Norman Rockwell moments.)
We also reused the wreaths and garland made of pine branches which decorated the exterior of our home. My mother would take these and add them to the mulch surrounding her flower beds. She placed them everywhere she wanted more frost protection. She was not concerned that the falling and decaying pine needles would add to the soil’s acidic levels (you will find just as many studies that will refute this result). However, if this concerns you more than it did my mother, you may want to use your pine branches to mulch around your more acid loving plants such as bleeding hearts, foxglove, ferns, lilliesof the valley, tiger lily, iris, daffodil, lupine, hydrangea, begonia, azalea, blueberries, etc.
The tree and the other branches were then chopped up each spring and became the foundation for that following year’s compost pile. Some neighbors would also strip the needles from the branches in the spring and use the branches as a support system for their peas or taller plants.
Next week’s project will be organizing your seed catalogue choices. Any comments and or suggestions for this and other topics are welcomed at winestained@aol.com.
PS: Remember to brush in an upward motion if you are removing any snow buildup from your shrubs, arborvitae, etc. The branches are already weighed down with snow pack and are brittle from the cold weather. A downward sweep from your broom could snap off some of the weaker branches.
Filed under: What should I do in the garden today?
