Winter and your garden

Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaLighting and IrrigationPlant Health Care
Written By Peter Morris

 

What to expect 

 

If you have a roof top garden or a balcony garden space, the temperatures of the planters and the soil in them will drop to the same as the ambient air. Only very hardy plants will tolerate this.

 

Exposed windy rooftop - but what a view !

 

In ground gardens however are a bit warmer because of the ground and warmer soil.  They also tend to be nestled and protected by buildings - away from the wind.

 

A lovely secluded quiet garden

 

Basic things to do

 

By now your irrigation system should be turned off and all of the pipes "blown out".  That is - drained of water that can freeze and split your irrigation pipes causing flooding.

Your Perennials should be cut back - grasses too.  Hydrangeas can be left if you like the look of the dried flower heads in the garden over winter. Just make sure to prune them back very late in Winter or early in Spring - before the leaves start to bud.

 

Hydrangeas can be allowed to dry out and stay all winter

 

Protect from the wind

 

Most gardens on rooftops are exposed to some wind.  Some locations and neighborhoods are worse than others - try the upper west side !

 

Wide open spaces can be very windy !

 

When extreme, winds can dry out the soil, foliage and any evergreen leaves.  In these spots, plants need additional protection.  For broadleaf evergreens an application of anti desiccant is in order.  If things are especially windy, or for delicate plants, wrapping in burlap is recommended. Just remember to tightly wrap the burlap and pin or wire it to the soil, plant, or planter - otherwise it will blow away !

 

Decorate

 

Because your garden is asleep does not mean that it can't be a beautiful backdrop to all of your holiday events. At Plant Specialists we decorate planters, window boxes and tree pits. 

We use cut evergreen branches and cones or berries to give it a lovely wintery feel from inside your home.  It also will add some protection for the roots of the trees from the winter weather.   Just be sure to secure the greens and cones in with U pins (also called sod staples).  These 6" long metal pins are reasonably priced and available at all good hardware stores.

 

Cut greens and live winter evergreens plants

 

For winterizing your garden or for decoration ideas and help

- Call Plant Specialists TODAY !

Our Garden Care Team make it happen for you !

Don't delay – the sooner the better !

 

GREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 51 YEARS !

 

 

Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBA

All photographs used with permission from our own customers gardens !   

 

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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