Surviving the Dark Days of Winter
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It is no secret that this happens to be my least favorite time of the year, I will gripe about it to anyone unlucky enough to be near. The holidays distract us with a sugar-fueled bliss full of colored lights, wrapping paper, visiting friends and family, and then we are unceremoniously dumped into January 2nd. The days can be dark and way too short, and no matter how much I want to be out in the garden, I don't like leaving the house when it gets cold. So what can a gardener do at this time of year? I have listed below, in no particular order, some survival strategies that help me through the dark times.
- This is the time of year I get new gardening catalogs in the mail that advertise what will be available for spring. I particularly like to get the White Flower Farm, Wayside Gardens, Park Seed, Jackson & Perkins and Plant Delights catalogs. Even if I don't end up ordering, I have a good time looking, and it helps me plan for the spring.
- The web has become a great place for gardeners to spend time on a cold dark day. There is so much information available on line from many sources. Most nurseries and garden centers now maintain a web site and are happy to show you their products. I also enjoy browsing the blogasphere looking for dedicated gardeners who like sharing their successes, as well as their failures. You can get up-to-date information from botanical gardens, universities and extension services too.
- I like to go to one of the large bookstores like Barnes and Noble or Borders and get a cup of hot coffee and peruse a stack of garden books full of rich, colorful photography. I also like to go there with gift cards I received at Christmas (hint, hint).
- January is a good time to go somewhere hot and humid, but I can't afford the Caribbean or Florida. However, I can afford to visit the greenhouse at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, and if I am in Richmond, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has a very elaborate greenhouse built to look like a Victorian palm house. Also relatively close is the U.S. Botanic Garden near the capitol building in Washington. If you have never been there, you need to go; it is one of our great, undervalued national treasures.
- The chances that we will have a January day that is nice enough to be in the garden are greatly increased if I am scheduled to work that day. But occasionally my day off and good weather occur at the same time, and this is when I spread mulch, prune my evergreens, rake up stray leaves, pull out unwanted plants, get the beds re-edged, spray dormant oil or simply enjoy my time outside in the sun.
- With all of the lush growth and bright colors of summer now gone, it is easy to see how the basic structure of your garden is able to stand on its own. Look at your landscape as a whole and see if you have a good balance between evergreens, flowering plants, plants with structure, lawn and hardscapes (edging, patios, sidewalks, etc). If your garden is heavy or light in one of these categories, you may want to consider some adding or subtracting in the spring.
- My garage always needs a thorough cleaning and organizing at this time of year. Right now it is a total wreck and will need to be set straight before spring gets here. Saws, shovels and pruners need to be cleaned and sharpened.
- Lastly, I do several things that have nothing to do with gardening to take my mind off of my circumstances. I get caught up on my reading, rent movies I did not have time to see when we were busier, go for a swim at the Y; and if it is not too cold, take the dogs for a brisk walk.
I hope that maybe you found some of these suggestions helpful, and that they will help you survive January. You may want to save some of the suggestions for February, which as anyone who gardens knows, can be the longest month of the year.
Les Parks
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Feed the Birds... Tuppence a Bag!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Now is the time of year to think about all of our feathered friends. They give us countless hours of enjoyment so let's pay them back by keeping fresh food and water in our yards where they can get to it. Different birds like different things and even like eating in different areas, so let me give you some tips on feeding birds in the Tidewater area. That way they will make your winter as colorful as your spring.
Many types of seed are available in our area. The preferred seeds are sunflower (hulled or un-hulled), niger (thistle) and millet. Sunflower is the most popular because it is eaten by the greatest variety of birds; it attracts blue jays, woodpeckers, finches, cardinals, grosbeaks, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches and grackles. Tube and hopper feeders are best suited for this seed as they hold larger amounts and are sturdier. Make sure the tube feeders are caged to protect the openings from squirrels. These feeders should be hung or placed about 5 feet off of the ground near a window so you can enjoy your visitors. Thistle seed is eaten mostly by small-beaked birds (finches, chickadees, titmice, etc.) and costs the most per pound, giving it the nickname "black gold". Thistle feeders are specifically designed for thistle seed. Tiny openings allow small-beaked birds only to remove the seed. This is a feeder that needs to be 5 feet above the ground and should have a squirrel baffle attached to it for protection. Millet is usually mixed in with other seed mixes and it should be fed on a ground feeder table at least 10 feet from the nearest tree or shrub to give the birds a chance against any predators (cats) in the area. Doves, sparrows, towhees, goldfinches, robins and cardinals are all ground feeders. Cracked corn can be given to ground feeders as well. Mix it with millet but watch out for excess moisture as corn will rot if too wet.
Suet cakes are an important addition to bird feeding areas in the winter. They will help insect eating birds like woodpeckers, wrens, chickadees, nuthatches and titmice survive the winter. Wrens, for example, must eat their weight in food every day to survive when it is cold. Suet feeders should hang 5 feet above the ground to protect the feeding birds from predators. Watch the weather in our area, because if temperatures get too hot suet can get rancid quickly.
Two other items are on my list as important and those would be water and seed germination. Water by far is the most important thing I can think of. Most people will put out seeds and suet but they seem to always forget the water. Birds need hydration in the winter, and if they have to go too far to get it they can die. So make sure you always put out fresh water and if it freezes over night you may want to look into a birdbath de-icer. You can get solar dei-cers and the birds will just love you for using them. Seed germination can be a problem under your feeders, so take a great tip from us, and use corn gluten. It is a natural germination inhibitor and is not harmful to birds.
Hopefully, this has helped you sort through the bird-feeding maze. If you still have questions, please call us. We are here to help anytime. Thanks for reading.
Margie Cooper | |
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Houseplants Provide Interest After the Holidays
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Does your home look a lot less inviting now that the last holiday decorations have been packed away? Consider scattering several small houseplants around on tabletops and in your bedrooms. Or try adding a couple of sizeable houseplants, which provide "instant impact", to the rooms where you spend the most time. If you are already successful with houseplants you probably know how important light is in the selection of houseplants. When you visit the garden center be able to provide information about the exposure the plant will receive, and be honest about whether you often "forget" to water, etc.
I have a neighbor who recently dropped a hefty sum at a local garden center buying several large houseplants to "clean the air " for her children, only to have the leaves on most of them turn brown and fall off in a couple of weeks. I was called over for a consultation, and I instantly sensed that inadequate light was probably the culprit. Most of the houseplants sold in garden centers originated in tropical areas, and grew as understory plants sheltered from the direct rays of the sun. Their leaves adapted to these lower light conditions, which is why they can survive in your house. Some plants, like Sanseveria (snake plant), are quite flexible about bright or dark locations. Recent research also indicates that this easy-to-grow plant is also one of the best for removing toxins from the air. Like plant trivia? Christmas Cactus gives off oxygen at night (most plants produce oxygen during the day), and rubber plants are one of the best for removing formaldehyde, benzene and ammonia from the air.
Other plants may show their displeasure with low light locations within a few weeks. Watch for pale spindly growth which is often a sign of light deficiency Remember that light intensity varies with the seasons, so what you consider your sunniest window most of the year (probably a west or south- facing window) is not very bright during the winter months. Houseplants also resent drafts, especially those that result from being placed on cold windowsills. Don't allow the plant's leaves to touch the cold glass, as the leaves will respond by turning brown. Try placing several layers of newspaper between plants and the window at night, or better yet place the plants on an attractive stand right in front of the bright window. I know from personal experience that houseplants don't like to sit on top of radiators, even if they are on a tray, so I try to be vigilant about the watering and keep them in that location for a very short period. The other mistake people often make is to set potted plants down into decorative containers that have no drainage holes. The best way to water the potted plants is to take them to the sink, water them until the water runs out the bottom, then allow them to drain before returning them to their decorative pots. Certain plants, like African violets, should always be watered with tepid water and they do not like water on their leaves. There are succulent plants, like aloes and cactus, that store water in their leaves so they don't need to be watered as much as something like African violets. Always ask about watering tips when you purchase the plants and write down the information if there's a chance you'll forget.
Plants at garden centers are fed on a regular basis. That's why they look so healthy! Customers seem shocked when they describe their houseplant problems and we ask if the plants have been fertilized lately. In the majority of scenarios the plants have not been fertilized since they left the store. During the winter months, when plants are not actively growing, you can cut back a little on the both the watering and the fertilizing. There are many options for fertilizer products. You can mix up the "blue stuff" (don't make the color electric blue as that is too strong), purchase plant fertilizer sticks or sprinkle on a granular formula that releases nutrients over an extended period of time. Keep the fertilizer off of the plant's foliage as much as possible since this can cause brown burn spots on the leaves.
Have more questions? How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants That Purify Your Home or Office by B.C. Wolverton, or one of our personal favorites The House Plant Expert by Dr. D.G. Hessayon.
Ann Weber
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