Aerin's Garden Insights

Dear Garden Lover,

There’s an old gardener’s adage that says something like the work you do in your garden during the winter can save you two to three times the work you’d have to do in the spring and summer. I’ve certainly found this to be true in my own garden as well as other gardens we take care of. It’s a great time of year to go through your garden from one end to the other and prune, weed, and mulch.

                 So many times people think to themselves “oh, it’s too cold to go out” and keep putting of pruning until leaf and flower buds may be already appearing in early spring. In the case of deciduous perennials for instance, such as deciduous salvia that bloom only on the new growth, the foliage may still be semi-green but the new growth coming out close to the ground will be all the growth for the next year. That salvia won’t bloom again on the old growth. In winter it’s easy to just cut all the old stems and foliage back to the new growth close the ground. If you’ve procrastinated and wait until later in the spring, the new growth is already coming up through the old growth and you need to go in and carefully cut the last year’s growth without damaging this year’s growth. In our climate the optimum time to do your winter maintenance is from December 15th to February 1. Obviously plants that are winter or early spring blooming are going to be pruned after bloom. Also plants that bud up well before their blooming period, such as Camellias, Azaleas, and Rhododendrons are best pruned back after bloom.

                 In between the winter rains weeds are easier to remove, making a thorough clean up of the garden much easier. It’s a good idea to apply mulch soon after weeding to help keep new weeds from sprouting. Even one inch of mulch can keep many weed seeds from germinating. When they’re fresh, mulches take a considerable amount of water to become saturated and let water penetrate below them. The winter rains are a great time to apply mulch. You’ll notice the soil does not dry out nearly as fast when warm weather returns later in the spring.

                 Winter is also the optimum time to do rearrange plants as needed that may be too crowded, or are not thriving in their present positions. I’m amazed when doing consultations how many people have tried to move plants in the summer heat and wondered why they didn’t survive. The success rate is very high moving hardy plants during their winter dormancy. We’ve moved large trees and hedges as well as well as so many shrubs and perennials during winter with great results. Another problem we have in most of the San Francisco Bay Area is heavy clay soils where plants are subject to poor drainage and crown rot. Raising the root ball two inches or more above the existing grade  and mulching over the exposed roots can revitalize an ailing plant. One of my early mentors was a landscape painter that decided later in life that gardens were the height of art for her. One day when we were sitting looking at her beautiful garden she half jokingly said she had moved every plant in her garden an average of three times. As I   looked at the garden every plant seemed to be in its perfect place. The harmony of  her garden was exquisite.

                 As I write this, finally more rain has come. It’s been raining all afternoon into the night. Try going out in your garden during the rain and you can feel the plants and soil  receiving the rain. So many times we cut ourselves off and don’t experience the rain in our own gardens. After long periods of dryness like we’ve had if you take a moment to be aware of your garden you can feel the gratitude of the plants and soil for the rain. After the rain when the sun shines again you can feel the freshness of the air and the vibrancy of the plants. In Native American and other indigenous cultures they talk about feeling the rain for the rain to be able to come. So instead of asking for rain, they would go inside and feel what the rain feels like on their body, walking barefoot in the mud, and the scent of the earth. They would give thanks for the rain that has already come. So it may be that we can all have an impact on the rain by feeling the rain, taking time to experience the rain, and give gratitude for the rainwater that sustains life on earth.

                 Enjoy your garden, Aerin