Winter Gardening. Prepare now.





Zebra Grass in foreground



Winter gardening? An oxymoron? Maybe yes, maybe no. Think about existing plants in your garden and landscape. Those coneflowers, Russian Sage, and others with strong stems can withstand winter onslaughts, if we just leave them undisturbed. They

provide architectural interest in the "winter garden" as well as food for winter birds.What can you plant now to add that architectural interest to your garden for winter enjoyment? Grasses. They sway in the winter winds, poke up from the mounds of snow, and break up unending blankets of snow. Choose some varieties that fit your specific needs and plant them now. Imagine one of these beauties in your winter garden.

 



 
 
 
 
 
 

 



Grass needs a haircut.

Lush lawns take work and mowing properly is key to building a lush lawn. When I drive through a neighborhood and see grass cut so short, I can almost see the soil, I lament. That poor homeowner will probably spend money on fertilizer to encourage his grass to grow and weed killer to destroy the weeds he encourages with SHORT grass. But wait, a dry spell is on its way in late summer and a brown lawn for this poor fellow.

Grass is more than a stem, but when we cut it short, all we have left are stems. Set your mower high and cut grass at least 3 inches high. Then you will see blades (leaves) on the stems. Cutting the grass high encourages more growth in the roots, produces more stems with more blades of grass on the stems, and creates a thick carpet that begs for bare feet.

Thick grass saves you money and enhances your environment in the process. Who isn't interested in saving hard earned money? Thick grass discourages weeds, so you purchase less weed killers. Thick grass is more immune to dry spells in late summer, so you save money on watering, not to mention the time saved for more interesting pursuits.

So set your mower deck high, (mine is as high as it will go) and enjoy a greener summer.