Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County

winter garden chores

Garden Planning: Think Small!

 

Fairy gardens are the ultimate in thinking small

Looking forward to a new gardening year, we often think big: We’ll have the biggest vegetable garden ever—grow all the flowers we’ve been meaning to try—or how about starting an herb garden—replacing foundation plantings? While it’s cold and we’re dreaming we can be most ambitious—but also most creative! So consider how thinking small might mean your best gardening year, yet!

Some ways of thinking small
Now is the time to map out your garden projects, buy seeds, start preparing for planting—and the time to consider how to garden smart.

Incorporating edibles into your landscape
  • Rather than starting a whole new garden for vegetables, fruits, or herbs, consider integrating edibles into your existing landscape. A recent North Carolina Extension publication (see references below) provides sample plans for both in-ground and container plantings for a variety of sun/shade conditions.
  • Consider using smaller plants as well as smaller gardens.
    • Many vegetables and fruit trees come in “dwarf” or “compact” varieties, allowing you to grow more produce in smaller spaces.
    • Minigardens/container gardens may use these smaller plants, but also capitalize on closer spacing of plants in the ground or using unused above-ground space on decks, driveways, patios, and porches to grow plants in containers.
    • If you have existing gardens, consider replacing overgrown plantings with trees/shrubs/perennials that better fit the space available.
Patio tomatoes don’t need staking and can be planted in containers

Maintenance
It’s easy to think about great times in your garden when you’re stuck inside, but now is the time to think about the gardening tasks you hate as well as those you love! I share a plot in our local community garden, and it is always sad to see all the number of plots abandoned in midsummer when weeds or insects or diseases overwhelm. Shrubs and trees in many home landscapes look just as abandoned!

Dwarf fruit trees are easier to maintain than full size fruit trees

Some ways to minimize maintenance:

  • Reduce areas you need to water
  • Reduce areas you need to weed
  • Choose disease-resistant varieties of vegetables and herbs
  • Choose shrubs and trees that need little pruning to keep looking good and staying within the space—both horizontal and vertical—that’s allotted
  • Avoid plants that need frequent deadheading or cutting back—including lawns
  • Mulch unplanted areas

 Article by Buncombe County Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers

 For more information:

Growing edibles in the Landscape:
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/growing-edibles-in-the-landscape

Dwarf tomatoes:
https://extension.psu.edu/dwarf-tomatoes-save-space-and-taste-great
https://www.dwarftomatoproject.net

Growing vegetable in minigardens:
https://www.tnstate.edu/extension/documents/GrowingVegetablesinMiniGardensContainers.pdf

Low maintenance landscaping:
https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6902

 

 

 

Winter Interest: Look Around!

Now is the time to take an honest look at your landscape. Do you see a sad bunch of dead-looking sticks and sprouting weeds or a bounty of interesting tree silhouettes, colorful leaves or bark, and even some blooming plants?
If things look grim, now’s the time to take stock! In addition to your own garden, look at others’ landscapes for plants, trees, shrubs, and bulbs that appeal to you and plan to add some for next year.

What to consider

In taking a look at your yard, note these features:
• The big picture—does your garden have good “bones” in winter? Now is the time you see if you have misplaced or overgrown trees and shrubs—and to do your winter pruning! Consider removing or replacing your mistakes to increase winter appeal.
• Perennials that go dormant gracefully—many perennials have “disappeared” because their foliage dies back and is easily removed—daylilies show how this can make a difference in how your garden looks in winter. Some daylilies go fully dormant here and as we approach spring begin to show fresh new leaves, while those that are semi-dormant or evergreen varieties may look less attractive throughout the winter.

Look for perennials that have neat rosettes of leaves that look fresh in winter or leaves that turn brighter colors. Bergenia is one popular garden ornamental that looks good at this time of year with its red/bronzy leaves. Some native plants that look tidy at this time of year include horsemint (Monarda punctata) and some Heucheras.

Container Garden with Heuchera and Bergenia

• Interesting bark—some native trees that have bark that draws attention in winter include hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), river birch (Betula nigra), shagbark hickory (Carya ovata), sycamore (Platanus occidentalus.). Some desirable smaller ornamental trees are paperbark maple (Acer griseum) and crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica). Some native shrubs with attractive bark include the peeling bark of oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia) and red stems of the redosier dogwood (Cornus sericea).

Shagbark Hickory
Redosier Dogwood

• Early bloomers—Among desirable ornamental small trees and shrubs that bloom in winter in Western North Carolina are Chinese witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis), corneliancherry dogwood (Cornus mas), paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha), pussy willow (Salix caprea), winter hazel (Corylopsis spicata), and winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum).

Pussy Willow
Winter Jasmine

Perennials that bloom early include many hellebores (Helleborus spp.). Other plants that we see in winter bloom are tender perennials such as snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus), or reseeding annuals or biennials, such as pansies (Viola spp.).

Hellebore

Winter blooming bulbs include some crocus and daffodil species (Narcissus), and snowdrops (Galanthus spp.).

Crocus and Snow Drops
Daffodils

When to plant
You can plant many perennials, trees, and shrubs this spring if you keep them watered during dry spells. Order bulbs for planting in late fall.

Article by Debbie Green Extension Master Gardener Volunteer

For more information:

Do You Know How to Properly Plant Trees and Shrubs?https://wilkes.ces.ncsu.edu/2015/04/do-you-know-how-to-properly-plant-trees-and-shrubs/

Spring-Flowering Bulbs: Trials in North Carolina https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/spring-flowering-bulbs-trials-in-north-carolina

 

The New Gardening Year: Can I Use Old Seeds?

What a wonderful time of year to be a gardener! The mailbox overflows with seed catalogs showcasing what is new for 2020. I also find myself looking at the 78 seed packets I already have—most great performers from past years—and see some were “packed for use in 2015” or even earlier!

Seed Packets

It’s time to decide if you need to buy new seeds; we can plant onions and peas outdoors as early as mid-February and if you grow your own transplants, you’ll want to start planning, too! For example, tomatoes will need 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost to grow to transplant size, so you’ll need to start them indoors early to mid-April here.

Seed longevity

Must I buy seeds packed for 2020 and throw away these old favorites? Not always—many seeds are viable for years. The Chicago Botanic Garden provides some general guidelines for vegetable seeds: http://my.chicagobotanic.org/wp-content/uploads/Seed-Viability-Chart.pdf

So, for example, if you have cucumber, pumpkin, or squash seed from 2014, you might be fine, but onion, leek, parsnip, or parsley seeds from 2018 may already be worthless!

Testing seed viability

If you want to test your own seeds, Ward Upham, Kansas State Master Gardener Coordinator, suggests the following quick and easy test for each type of seed you want to test:

Place 10 seeds on a paper towel moistened with warm water and cover with a second moistened towel. Roll up the towels and place inside a plastic bag with enough holes for air exchange but not so many that the towels dry quickly. Place the bag in a warm place such as the top of a refrigerator. Remoisten towels with warm water as needed. After the first week, check for germination. Remove sprouted seed and check again after another week. Add these numbers together to determine the percent germination.

Testing Seed Viability and Germination

Planting old seed

If your old seed is still viable, you can simply plant extra seed in anticipation of lower germination rates.

Storing seed

The best places to store your seed are where it is cool and dark, such as the refrigerator or a cold basement. If you save seed from your garden, be sure the seeds are dry before you store them. For purchased seeds, keeping them with their original packets allows you to quickly determine the contents. Seal seeds in an airtight container, such as a canning jar, to prevent moisture.

Article by Bob Wardwell, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

For more information:

Vegetable gardening planting times: https://extensiongardener.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NC-Vegetable-Planting-Guide-1.pdf?fwd=no

**Note: Planting times for Western North Carolina Mountains are in purple and times to harvest from seed are indicated in the left-hand column. Those with an “*” should be started indoors rather direct seeded in the garden.**

Tips for growing plants from seed:

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/13-propagation#section_heading_5129

 

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Buncombe County Extension Office
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Helpline 828-255-5522

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