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Winter Landscaping And Winterizing

What are your perceptions of winter? If we had to guess, it probably involves bleak, gray, and cold. Why not plant for winter and the warm seasons to follow? There are plenty of trees and shrubs that help brighten up any cold, dreary, windy winter and great opportunities to plant for spring!

Maintenance

As a basis, fall is your best time to improve the lawn and garden. Weed early before snow sets in to enrich your soil, conduct pH tests to measure the current nutrient, and adjust accordingly based on results. Take this time to aerate and de-thatch your lawn, helping the nutrients in the soil by not letting it compact. Once you’ve finished, it’s time to aerate and reseed the lawn.

Got leaves? Leave them alone! Moving and disposing of leaves can disturb overwintering insects and discourage the ecosystem of bees, caterpillars, moths, and other wildlife gardens and grass need to thrive. Another benefit? Using your lawnmower to shred leaves will act as natural mulch for a greener lawn after the big thaw.

Winterizing

An important step to prepare for winter and spring is winterizing before snow and frost set. To do this, clean out all the weeds, leaves, and plants along with anything you don’t want growing in your garden the following season. It may seem backwards, but remember the best time to plant early spring bulbs is before the ground freezes. For newly established flower growths, drape a cloche over perennial beds and use a cold frame to keep growing veggies like lettuce and radishes. Protect your shrubs and rose bushes in a similar fashion by wrapping them in trash, landscape fabric, or burlap bags. Finally, dig up sensitive warm weather plants that are still thriving and bring them inside if possible.

Winter Landscaping

Evergreen shrubs and trees are the cornerstones of winter landscaping. Remember to choose an evergreen species that are hardy and can withstand the frost levels in your region. A winter landscape is usually determined by its silhouette or ‘form’ than the leaves, flower color, or fragrance that warm weather plants highlight. Choose to decorate instead with bark color and stones. A Red Osier Dogwood tree has a reddish bark that will provide a much-needed pop of color during winter and a Contorta woody shrub brings dramatic woody shapes that look great under a fresh blanket of snow.

At Mountain Road Landscaping, we provide all your landscaping needs – from maintenance, late planting, and transfers for winter landscaping along with soon-to-be-essential snow removal. Call today for winterizing and spring prep that can’t be beaten.