Gardening Topic for January 2004
How Are Your Bones?

Provided by the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association
www.wmassmastergardeners.org.

When I was growing up, my Dad put his small city garden to bed with a foot of leaves for cover. That foot of leaves symbolized the end. It was a flat space with no definition, structures, or textures.  It was boring flat. Dad’s garden ended at Halloween and began again Memorial Day when the tomatoes plants went in. I think many perceived gardening just that way.

Times have changed. Gardening for four seasons is a trend here to stay. Famous horticulturists have been talking about the beauty of winter gardening forever, and it is wonderful the rest of us are catching up. It makes a whole lot of sense and can relieve a bad case of cabin fever blues around January 17^th.  It’s a time when one can appreciate those trees and shrubs guarding the beds in a way different from summer. The winter color of dogwood glistening in the icy snow can take your breath away.  Stay real still and count the drops of water dripping from the tip of that Hydrangea twig. Meditation!  Snow drifting grips a tree or a fence giving it a cleaner shape. Art! Birds flocking to a bird feeder. Life!

Let’s accept the fact that snow before Christmas can mean a long hard winter ahead. During those few days of fierce winds in November I fantasized I had slept through Christmas, January and February and some how woke to March winds and the joy of  crocuses, then daffodils, any day. It was just a fantasy.  Snow followed. Heaps of it. Yes, fellow Master Gardeners we are in for a long winter. Gardening being my anchor to all of life’s heaves I plan to continue my gardening.  Please join me. How are the bones in your gardens?

Here is my plan to let my passion for gardening comfort me this winter. First I will dig out my garden diary and begin taking notes about what I like and what I don’t like in my beds during the winter.  What thrills me? What chills me? Next, I will surf the web. Run a Goggle search and type in some words about Winter Gardening. I will get you started with a few articles I fell in love with.

From Agway a concise and informative article with great pictures. Molly Dean from Flower and Garden Magazine takes us on a journey through a winter garden and lets us smell, taste and see the bark of wonderful trees.  Home and Garden treats us to more information about Conifers and how they contribute color to the winter garden.

A trip to your local bookstore for an afternoon of browsing garden books will bring a real sense of self-satisfaction. A great blues chaser I must add. I love independent bookstores but a major chain may yield a larger bounty of gardening books indulge in. In fact, some have large comfortable chairs positioned close to the garden section. Don’t forget a Cappuccino from the snack bar to keep you company.  Here are a few of my favorites. Gardens in Winter by Elizabeth Lawrence. Grasses by Nancy J. Ondra, Photography by Saxon Holt. The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia, 2003 revised edition. The Hillier Gardener’s Guide to Trees and Shrubs. And by far my favorites Taylor’s Master Guide to Gardening and Taylor’s Weekend Gardening Guide to Winter Gardens.

Now with my garden journal, my garden maps, and my notes from books and articles I will write plans for gardens to come. This will result in a wish list that I will attach to the refrigerator for all to see. After I consider the trees, shrubs and plants I will take some time to evaluate the architectural features of my garden: fences, walls, and whimsies. Find those garden supply catalogues and browse them for new ideas.

Don’t be afraid to set out on a cold day and visit some antique shops. I could find some great whimsical pieces to add to my garden for interest all year round. After all I love the birdhouse fence I found in someone's front yard in Maine and persuaded them to sell to me. They were strangers. Think outside the box and find ways to use old pieces in new ways. Finally, it is time to set out the seed catalogues and begin my ordering. Some seeds require March planting and I don’t want to be late. I can hear my Dad, “Remember the tomato plants need to go in by Memorial Day.”

 Happy Winter Gardening All!

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Provided by the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association
www.wmassmastergardeners.org.