Publication Date: Friday, January 13, 2006
Garden tips for January
Garden tips for January
(January 13, 2006) Winter's the time to think about the future
by Jack McKinnon
It is a new year, it is still winter and there is still plenty to do with your garden. With the excitement of the holidays past and our New Year's resolutions firmly in place we can focus on the tasks that winter provides for us.
This is the time of year to take a good look outside and think about the seasons to come. We are the arbiters of our gardens. Whether we have an apartment with a window garden or several acres with allées and caryatids now is the time to plan for spring. Here are the tips.
1. Rain is the best water there is for plants. Catch it in clean trash containers and siphon out what you need into watering cans. Better yet, if you have plumbing skills you can put a valve on your rain barrel and connect it to a gravity-flow drip system.
2. Look at the "bones" of your garden. Think about possible pathways, beds, borders, irrigation systems, lighting, sculptural and water features. This is the best time to put these in or replace ones that no longer work.
3. Do some homework on permanent plantings. What kinds of trees, shrubs, vines or ground covers would work for your climate and light situation?
4. If your building architecture is unique then it is important not to cover it up with plants. If anything, choose plants that will compliment the architecture. The notable landscape architect Thomas Church teaches "plant it away" in his book "Your Private World" (Chronicle Books, 1969). This technique can give homeowners/designers plenty of research to do finding just the right design to complement their homes.
5. Think about how you might incorporate stone in your garden. Look into types of stone, characteristics that complement and the different roles that stone plays in design.
6. A water feature is a garden element that can take many different forms. A simple birdbath is attractive and functional while a fountain or waterfall can bring a garden to a whole new level of sophistication.
7. Prune all deciduous plants. Deciduous means plants that lose their leaves in winter. Classic examples are roses, fruit trees, Japanese maples and grape vines.
8. Shop for and buy seeds for spring. There are dozens of Web sites on the Internet; just search "flower + seeds" or "vegetable + seeds" or narrow down the search to the specific type of seeds you want.
9. Visit Common Ground in Palo Alto at 559 College Ave., (650) 493-6072, for seeds by the spoonful, organic plant starts and many more high-quality gardening supplies. Half Moon Bay Nursery is a good source for color, ornamentals and an impressive tree selection. I also like Smith & Hawken at Stanford Shopping Center for new products, design elements, tools and furniture.
10. When you have all your ideas jotted down in your garden journal complete with pictures cut out of catalogs, printouts from the Internet and lists of plants, seeds and materials to work with, relax. You are ready for those first warm days of spring when you can get out and touch the earth.
Good Gardening.
Garden coach Jack McKinnon has been a gardener for 35 years, and worked in the Sunset Magazine gardens for 12 years. He can be reached at (650) 879-3261, or by e-mail at jcmckinnon@earthlink.net.
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