Gardening in Winter and Preparing for Winter *Bonus Checklist! (11/16/13 edit)

Last year I developed Winter Depression. I don't know if you read it in my posts but it was very real! So I have been spending time since March trying to find ways to avoid Winter Depression this year and in future years. Below is the link to the blog post I did last year. I had settled on spending the winter putting together a binder on important Do-it-Yourself Home Improvement skills. I finished it two days after thinking about it in November.

http://homewithmommy-fran.blogspot.com/2012/11/winter-distraction-preparations.html

The one non-family thing that did make me happy was talking about my garden. Of course in January there are few people willing to talk about flowers. That only added to the problem. This year, I have two solutions! Some Nurseries get in dwarf evergreen trees. The one next to Zach's school gets one type called a Colorado Blue Spruce. There are a few others, such as Alberta Spruce, but there is a lack of color in winter so I am drawn to the Blue Spruce. It should come in this week so when it's planted I'll post a picture! I am getting one for my planned garden, one for the pot by the stairs, and one for Zach.

11/16/2013 Edit: Zach had been sick lately and when he felt better he asked for a "flower". The closest to the in the nurseries is Ornamental Cabbage and Ornamental Kale. The Spruces haven't arrived yet. So I treated him to an Ornamental Cabbage and after a month of fighting it got myself one too. It's in my Featured Extras garden space. If it goes well this year, I'll put it in the plan for next year starting in the last part of October. That's when we miss planting the most. They last until it's about 10 degrees or colder steadily. I did the plans for how they would layout in my garden so fit isn't an issue but I have to explore if they fit my budget. I like it so far.

You will notice a small change in Winter Notes. The BEST type of container for Winter plants is a thick plastic. Terracotta is too porous and clay cracks. You can use a ceramic pot but it holds the cold in longer and might effect the root system. Stone is also porous and holds the cold in longer. Depending on the stone it might be an option and ceramic is an option but plastic is best.

Here is how to care for Garden plants in the winter such as Ornamental Cabbage, Ornamental Kale, Pansies (they last as cold as 20 degrees) and potted Shrubs and Trees like our Spruces will be:

Winter Garden Care
Wintering Notes:      Deep Freeze: 25°and ↓              Light Frost: 25° and ↑
	Water soil only if there is a possible frost
	Cover at night if below 30° (except evergreens)
	Container plants might not survive on and off freezing and thawing
	Water in the late afternoon (just before sunset) when thawed for a light frost at night
	Don't water frozen soil or if a deep freeze is expected

The next thing I will be doing is forcing bulbs. I haven't tried it before because of limited space but we'll see. The ideal starting place is dark and 40 - 48 degrees like a garage, basement, or fridge. Since we live in an apartment, the garage is our only choice. I am a little concerned since the garage gets a little warmth from the apartment above it but it's worth a try. I hope this works for three big reasons:

1. I go through planting withdrawal and these get planted at a time in the season when it's not worth planting Mums since they won't last long.

2. It means Spring flowers blooming at a time when I miss Spring most.

3. It's gardening. I have to check the water in the pots until the sprouts form (10 - 15 weeks after planting) but that doesn't take long and after that you garden in the house by a window with a lot of sun but not against a heater.

If you are interested, the instructions are below. It's a little late to try it, the flowers might not bloom until March at this point, but it's worth it. I choose colors I don't use in my garden, a white Daffodil, a pink Hyacinth, and a pink Tulip.

Forcing Bulbs
6” pot single bulb (just 1” around needed)
1. Plant 10 - 15 weeks before you want bloom 2 - 3 weeks until bloom
	*I plant the week before Halloween a White Daffodil, a Pink Hyacinth, and a Pink Tulip
	* Zach gets any one bulb of his choosing
2. Store Bulbs in a cool dry place like a heated garage, basement, or the fridge (40° - 48° ideal)
3. Cover the widest part of the bulb down
4. Keep in the garage, basement of fridge until sprouts form
5. Water when the soil is dry after planting
6. Keep in a sunny place inside once sprouts form
	* that table across from the Window for me
Can also be done in a bowl with beads on the bottom and water. No soil needed for that version But that's not all I am doing. Last year I mentioned drawing as something to try. Every time I thing of it, I end up brushing off the idea like it wouldn't work. The problems I had this year a last with establishing a hobby came from the fact I was looking in the first place. I had to choose something I naturally and drawn to and when I realized that I ended up settling on drawing. I have always liked drawing I just am not good at it so I never took it seriously. My favorite things to draw are seasonal themed trees. That goes back before my interest in gardening. Thinking about it now, it's an early sign that I would naturally enjoy gardening. When I was in college I had to take a Relaxation class as part of my Dance degree. One thing we tried was drawing and I found comfort in it. Drawing also offers flexibility. 1. I can do it when CSI is on so Josh can watch his show and I can be entertained in the bedroom (CSI scares me). 2. I can do it outside when it's nice year round or inside when I need stress relief 3. I can do it on a Friday and Saturday night when I like to stay up late but don't want to spend the entire time watching tv. 4. It's a healthy hobby I hope Zach also develops an interest in. 5. Anything I choose was going to have cost but this is a Target drawing pad, colored pencils, and a regular pencil, pretty cheap compared to the other options. Zach and I needed a new way to bond but that's easy ..................... he can help me COOK! He's always loved watching me cook and always asks to help. He is quite capable so he helps with dinner now. We went strait to formula with him and he learned early the location of the "bottle making station". It's within earshot of his crib so starting at about a week he would cry if we closed his door when we went to make his bottle then stop when we opened his door then went back to making the bottle. He used to love to watch me home-make his baby food too. But the thing that is turning out to be the hardest is a binder. When I start to resent winter for the restrictions it imposes on me, I wanted something to remind me about the things that are great about winter. I have different sections. One is for recipes like my Mom's Christmas cookie recipe and a Peppermint Cake recipe from Good Housekeeping that Zach and I made last year. Josh's Mom makes special Christmas cookies too and jokes that I have to be a Schroeder for 10 years to get it. I get it next year! That will be going into the binder too! It's a running joke I have had with her and Josh's Dad's Sister. It's a bonding thing. They are Spitzboubons but every time I send a recipe she says "that's not quite it.". Another section is of puzzles I made. Some are using generic winter words like "icicle" and they include a word search, a crossword, a word unscramble, a maze, and how many words can you get from this word. The holiday puzzles are all word searches but those are Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, January holidays, and February holidays. You can copy the one below to word and try it yourself! D G G F T H G N U J F L D F D J F L D F G F T H G K T F K T F V F J N D I K D F K E Y S N Z K E Y S N Z J F L D F H S F H S J F L D J G F T H G V F J D J F L D J D I K E Y S L D G L D G D H P D H E E S L E F B J S J F E B R U A R Y S H O I V K F D S H O T C H O C O L A T E F H E H K R I E V E I C S J J P Q D H S L C H J T R D E V B E H D H S K T K S W Q U L N D V C S I K Y A U K I D B X N W Z C J F L D J D S O U P L Q H A B M K J O P R I E E W Y K D I O C K E Y S J N N N O P D M F U D I I G E R B U B E Y C H A N W N A T E H O S P I O E N H S H D E I U R P E N G U I N O S T J S S N O W M A N B D W K R G F E D N R P D A D E J D D G U E H E D D B R G M D E D I F S I B C H G G O R R V H J E V F J R S G V A F V E E E R N N L L K O E J S H L W E G M C B I K D R G S L D R L E F R D F T O K A G M S K T I E G S I C I C L E H D L E F D C F B G B G E E R N K B S F H T H A F T D H E D T J F I C H G D T H N E E R G R E V E S L D S D B D T I I C E S K A T I N G V D I H S R F R P N S R H A U R E I U E D G U W H S L A R C U S J A C R T U E A G H G F J I G H E P N E R B F F D S D S F I B B T Y J A N U A R Y S N D D S D G D S G D E X N Z I S L E D D I N G Q S C F T H N J I K P E H K R I E I D F D I D F D I D F D D S F E H K R I E I D F D H S K T K S T H G F T H G F T H G F F J I H S K T K S T H G F W J F L D J J L F I F N D H S I R B J D G A I B D H S Y B U I arctic January soup December mittens Winter evergreen penguin Winter Fun February polar bear Hockey Skiing hot chocolate Sledding ice snow ice cube snowball Ice Skating snowflake icicle snowman The thickest section is the holiday section that includes: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's, Martin Luther King Jr., Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, and President's Day. I researched the history and traditions for them and included the lyrics to "Alde Lang Syne" and MLK Jr's "I Have A Dream" speech. I am one of those people that on Groundhog day, before I do anything else, I check if Punxutawney Phil saw his shadow. I use the link below. I started this section with pictures of Zach and me on cookie baking day and last year when he helped me make that cake! http://www.groundhog.org/ The first section will be for garden pictures. How my garden looks throughout winter, My parent's house untouched and snow covered, basically anything from nature that's beautiful in the winter. I still have to take most of those pictures. Here is that bonus checklist. It's everything you need to do to prepare for Winter. This includes things if you have a house. Let me know if I forgot anything: Garden Cleanup Rake leaves Toss dead flowers Move pots to the garage (clean first) Cut dead Perennials Lime the Topsoil and mix it in Fertilize Lawn, Perennials, Shrubs, Trees, and Bulbs (now or in Spring) Mulch sensitive Perennial, Shrubs, Trees, and Bulbs (optional) Prepare Shovel(s) Prepare Sand or Salt Move the Show Blower to an easy-to-access spot Prune dormant ornamental grasses  Prune diseased Perennial Shrubs Dig up Summer bloom bulbs and store until Spring Don't Forget: Remove screens and put in the storm windows and doors Put a shovel, brush, and scraper in all cars Spring Reminder: Outdoor bulbs might start to sprout in the Winter so especially after Valentine's Day be on the lookout for them! In the meantime, enjoy those Evergreens that get burried in the background during growing season I'll leave you with this: I have been trying to list all the great things about winter to keep on the front of it. I still need 4 more but here are the ones I have so far: For most of the year evergreens hide in the background. This is the time of year to appreciate them and their beauty.  There are a lot of celebrations so we celebrate with both sides of the family. Josh's birthday is January 3rd and it's nice to see him celebrated.  It's beautiful in December to walk or drive around at night and see the beautiful Christmas lights and other decorations.  A fresh carpet of snow is beautiful and if it's the light and fluffy type it's also easy to clear too.  NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl! Even better when the Giants are in the playoffs and FANTASTIC when they are in the Super Bowl!!! Three words: Cookie Baking Day!!!  Checking if Punxutawney Phil saw his shadow on Groundhog Day!