Rest and Renewal
Gay, 61
Topeka, Kan.
“During the holidays, I shop my local garden center for the beautiful ‘live’-looking decorations they carry. Beautiful boughs and garlands that look so fresh you can almost smell them. Each season, there are new delights waiting for me on their shelves a decorator’s dream!
“Here in Northeast Kansas, I look out the window to a beautiful ice world. While it is lovely to look at, I worry about the impact on our plants and trees for the coming spring. My koi are hibernating in my water garden, my perennials are all bedded down with shredded leaves and the shrubs are trimmed for the winter. The only sound in this quiet white world is the running waterfall that brings life-giving oxygen to the fish. Now is the time that I plan what I will plant next year, where it will go and the changes I want to make to my flowerbeds and water garden. Winter is a time for rest and renewal for me and my outdoor world. I know spring is sleeping, but I can’t wait for her to wake.”
Jeanette, 52
Berwyn, Ill.
“Gardening is a year-round hobby to me. The winter months help rest the muscles, but the planning and dreaming never stop. This is a time that I sit down and make notes, or decipher any quick notes that were written during the growing season. I keep track of what worked well or died, what needs to be replanted or divided, and even what never to plant again. I will keep notes of heights, empty spots, ‘perfect’ plants and what I need to add. Besides organizing my notes, I love checking out the catalogs. These are pretty abundant during the late winter.
“Even though the garden is asleep, I still check for broken branches and damage due to storms or animals, premature budding and the general health of the garden. While this is not an everyday chore, the garden is not totally ignored for three months.
“Besides outside gardening, I can always tinker in the house. This is the time to play with cuttings of plants from the garden or take care of houseplants. Late winter is also the time to start seedlings. Most seedlings are begun six to eight weeks before the last frost, which is a good part of the cold winter months. This is the time to clean and sharpen tools for the coming season. I will also shop around for new tools or replacements, which are usually on sale during the winter.
“If this isn’t enough to keep a gardener busy, I am always looking for lectures and classes. The conservatories and libraries are great places to go to for a class, usually free or at a nominal fee, to learn either gardening or about some exotic plants.”
Marie, 56
Mission Hills, Kan.
“Late fall is a beautiful time of year in Kansas City. The humidity decreases and evenings are often cool and dry. This year, we purchased a copper fire pit so we could extend our outdoor season. We gathered the patio furniture around the fire pit and had many relaxing evenings. We even ordered some pinion wood to remind us of our vacations to the Southwest.
“Fall has now turned to winter, and it’s cold and icy outside. Like many gardeners, I satisfy my gardening urges by window shopping on the Internet or leafing through gardening catalogs. We installed a new patio and retaining walls last summer, so I have some new beds to fill. I’m looking for shrubs for shady areas because we have lots of mature trees in our yard. Azaleas and rhododendrons are two of my favorites I love their bright flowers against the dark-green leaves. I hope to plant herbs in one of the new beds, and I’m reading books and articles about how to grow them successfully.”
Questions to Consider
- Do you have special deals on gardening tools or garden pharmacy products during the winter?
- Does your garden center offer classes or workshops designed specifically for the winter gardener?
- Do you carry plants bred for cold tolerance? If so, are you able to educate your customers on such plants and how to care for them?
- Does your garden center carry outdoor furniture or accessories that may be used year round?
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