Fine Gardening

Archive for the ‘Winter Gardening’ Category

A winter greenhouse, as the name suggests is a greenhouse for your plants during the winters. This will keep all the plants protected from the ice and frost and dampness. If you don’t have a greenhouse already but have a lot of plants out in the garden, it is high time that you build one. Otherwise all those delicate plants will wilt by the time winter reaches the peak.

As a lover of plants, you will not wish to see your plants wilting away and dying under the heavy weight of the ice on it. So opt for a winter greenhouse now. Apart from protecting your plants, the winter greenhouse will serve as a place where you can sit and relax for sometime during the winter with your lovely plants.

If you are planning to build a winter greenhouse, decide on where you want it to be erected. It can be in the front yard or backyard. But wherever you build it, it must be spacious enough to accommodate all your plants and even you! You can even go for a portable greenhouse. The benefit of choosing a portable greenhouse is that you can pull it down during the spring and beginning of summers when your plants don’t need it and spread out your plants adorably all over the garden.

If you don’t want to move your plants out from the greenhouse during any of the seasons, you can opt for the greenhouse which can be opened from the top. These will be remote controlled or operated by levers. So when you feel that your plants need some direct sunlight, you can just open the top cover and make the plants bask in the sun.The remote operated winter greenhouses may be a bit costly but are ideal if you have nurseries or plant gardens which bring in revenue.

Almost all plants can be grown in a winter greenhouse. It can be flowering plants, fruits, or vegetables. When the weather outside is suitable enough, you can move these plants outside. The benefit of using winter greenhouses are that you can control the humidity, heat, water, light, pest and other diseases which may affect your plants.

These greenhouses trap in the sunlight and heat and provide it to the plants even when it is cold outside. You can also heat up your greenhouse when required. Heating can be done by using the conventional burning of wood method or using gases. But take care that the heat is not in excess and becomes unbearable for the plants.

Winter greenhouse can be made up of plastic or any sturdy water proof materials. The frames must be rust proof and strong enough to withstand weights and the winds. If you are buying a greenhouse, choose a specific winter greenhouse. You can build a small store in the winter greenhouse where you can store all your gardening accessories, seeds, and other equipments. So the winter greenhouse will protect your plants, you, and give you a place to relax peacefully.

Winter is the only season which gives an opportunity to take a look at those winter vegetables available in the market. Instead of falling to the cravings of interesting junk food it would be ideal to take a look at wide variety of winter vegetables available in the market or pick them from the winder garden. The winter vegetables play an important role in nourishing the body and create energy reserve that could be used for rest of the year.

Choosing the right vegetables for your garden and the modes to groom them is more important. Also you need to understand as to which vegetable will survive with cold cover and which will be curving without a cover. The winter vegetables that could be grown in the garden without a cold cover falls under the category of oriental greens. These varieties of oriental greens were created out of combinations of mustard, kale, turnips and other cold hardy plants. They thrive in mild, cool and wet winter environment.

Those vegetables that are a little more delicate need floating row cover to add a couple of degrees of heat retention underneath of the row covers. This could extend the harvest by couple of weeks.

Parsnips vegetables should be planted earlier – no later than June – but all other winter vegetables can be sowed in July or August. Carrots can be kept in the ground for most of the winter.

Many plants  get to bolt stage that is go to seed stage, when spring arrives hence the winter vegetables should be harvested before the end of April.  You can plant seeds directly or transplant. Take precautions to save your winter green seedlings from the predators in the garden.

Some plants that could be tried are Tat Soi, Komatsuna , Typhon, Bok Choi, Pac Choi, Joi Choi, Mizuna, Corn plant, lettuce, alliums (the onion family), parsley, cilantro, beets, brussel sprouts, kale, collards, chard, broadbeans (also called Fava beans). They can be planted but they are harvested in late April or May so this is one for the permanent plots, or if you simply wish to improve the soil.

Another winter vegetable is Typhon (a turnip rapeseed cross) that gets large, over 5 ft tall. The plant should be thinned so that they are at least about 3 ft apart. You can eat the thinning. All parts of Typhon are edible but the stems will need to be skinned if they get larger then about 1″ in diameter. Typhon makes a good windbreak so consider planting on the west side of your plot.

Eggshells are a good source of calcium. You can use a coffee or spice grinder to make them into powder so they break down faster. Be sure to bake eggshells at 300F in the oven for at least 10 minutes to kill any salmonella bacteria. Just drying the eggshells will not prevent salmonella.  A coffee ground makes a great addition to your compost pile at home and in the winter.

Winter vegetables are preferred plantation in our winder garden or the popular kitchen garden. There is a lot of literature available online, which will help you understand.

Winter pansies are plants that add a dash of colour and life to your rooms and gardens. There are many possible options to arrange them in your gardens and living rooms. The winter pansies are hardier and resist the cold. So winter pansies are ideal plants for your garden during the cold season when all the other lovelies in the garden wilt away.

Winter pansies are best suited for places which are mild cold and you need to plant them in an open area or where they can get the sunlight. The best time to plant the pansies is during mid September to the beginning of October or when the climate is not too cold. You can add a low nitrogen balanced fertilizer while planting and the better if you can give liquid fertilizers to the plant. After a period of three to four months you will have to provide the fertilizers again. Though the winter pansies can survive the cold, it may not thrive well if it is damp always. Dampness can lead to rotting of the plant. So always take care to plant it where it receives some good sunlight or heat.

Winter pansies are available in a variety of breeds now and suited for the winters. These plants bloom during the mild winter seasons and burst colours in your otherwise dull white garden. The pansy seeds can be bought from most of the garden supply stores. Check for the label as winter pansy. If it is labeled just as pansy, it may not withstand the cold. Those labeled as Cold Hardy are the seeds of the winter pansies and they will withstand cold climate. These are not too costly and are available almost in all cold places. There are online stores which sell these seeds as well. You can just browse the internet and check the stores offering the seeds.

To make the pansies grow well you will have to pinch or trim away the nips. This will promote the bushy and compact growth of the plant. Allow the plant to go till its seeding phase and the seeds will create new pansies all around the place. If you are planting your pansy during the end of the summer, you will have to keep watering it well but keep checks for dampness accumulating in the roots. Water the plant well in the fall before the hard frost occurs and then again in spring.

As we all know winter pansies are for that colour and liveliness during the winters, so when you plant it in your garden, plan the arrangement beforehand. You must not simply plant it irregularly. A plant or two here and there will give a messy appearance. So, try to group them together and form patterns. This will really brighten up your garden. You can try some landscaping design patterns or garden design software programs to see how your garden will look when it blooms. You can also see some of the online resources or gardening magazines for inspirations on the landscaping patterns for your winter pansies.