Winter Hostas Care

If you want to have beautiful blooming Hostas in the spring, you need to take care of them in the winter. The Hostas is a plant with beautifully shaped and colorful leaves. In the summer, it will produce flowers in a variety of white to lavender-purple colors. The blossoms take on different shapes and resemble spiders with wide legs, bells and tubes balanced on the end of a leafless stem.

When you take good care of your Hostas plants in the winter, it helps them to bloom beautifully in the spring. In the winter, these plants will naturally go dormant and this automatically helps them survive very cold temperatures. However, there are still a few things you can do to make sure your plants look their best when spring rolls around and some of these are listed below:

• Mark the location of the Hostas so you don’t accidently dig it up in the early spring. These plants will bloom late in the spring and they’re easy to overlook where you’re beginning your early spring gardening.
• Mulch around the stalk to help keep the moisture in and most of the cold out
• The Hostas are a shade plant, which means that it flourishes under the shade of trees. To ensure the plants get the proper amount of sun and shade during the spring and summer, the winter is an excellent time to prune the trees and clean up the area.
• The winter is a great time to trim the stalk of the plants and shape old foliage so they’ll stay healthier all year long.
• Take measures to keep your garden free of pests that can feed off the roots of your plants causing damage.

The Hostas is a strong plant that can survive on its own even in the cold winter months. This is one of the reasons they are such a popular plant. However, taking a little time to provide the extra care listed above will ensure the plants stay healthy and look even more beautiful when spring rolls around.

5 Tips for Planting a Garden in the Winter

Once the cold weather begins to set in many people put up their gardening equipment and wait for spring to roll around so they can begin planting again. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can still enjoy a beautiful garden in the winter if you’re willing to put a little extra time and effort into taking care of it.

5 tips for planting a garden in the winter are listed below:

1.      Choose the Right Vegetables- There are a number of different vegetables that will grow and thrive in the winter months. Some of these are lettuce, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots, garlic, parsley, turnips, spinach and broccoli. You can also plant squash, corn and melons if you have the room to start the plants indoors.

2.      Prepare the Seed Bed- Add fertilizer or organic material to the area to ensure it’s healthy and ready for planting before you begin.

3.      Follow the Planting Instructions for Seeds- The seeds will come with planting and watering instructions on the packets. Be sure and following these instructions completely for the best results. The seeds must stay moist until germinating takes place.

4.      Mulching- Mulching your garden will help to protect the plants and preserve the moisture as they grow.

5.      Cover the Plants as Needed- There will be times when you’ll need to cover your plants to protect them from an extra cold night. Keep an eye on the weather and the expected temperatures to determine when you need to take extra precautions.

It can be fun and very rewarding planting a garden in the winter. After all, not many people get the opportunity to enjoy fresh vegetables this time of year. Following the tips above can help to make your attempt at a winter garden a success.

Garden Sheds

Potting shed, garden tool shed, garden cottage…a shed can be purchased or built to fit any gardener’s dream, including purpose, style and budget. Garden sheds are appreciated in the fall when it’s time to bring in the tools and find some indoor gardening activities. Another big advantage of a garden shed is that as a potting shed it can shelter you from the rain or hot sun, providing you with your own special spot in the great outdoors. Here are some tips for selecting or designing such a shed.

First of all, it’s good to know that there are various levels of building required.

You can start from scratch using building plans (easily found online), or you can purchase a kit, such as one with pre-cut wood (minor adjustments may be made with a skill saw) or one that is semi-assembled. Another option is to purchase a turnkey shed that is home delivered.

A garden shed, like a storage shed, may be made of wood, metal, plastic or wood with vinyl siding. However, most garden sheds are made of wood.

Styles range from tiny, open-sided tin-roofed structures to larger wood-framed structures that are more akin to cottages with shingled roofs, windows, and electrical outlets.

If you decide to go with the cottage variety, whether you choose a kit, pre-assembled or DIY, you can customize this to complement your home and garden. Some environmentally conscious gardeners like to use recycled materials such as doors and windows. Doing so can save you money, and you can still have a garden shed fit for Sunset or Better Homes & Gardens!

To aesthetically enhance your garden shed, you may want to paint the trim or choose siding that matches the main house. Or if you always wanted a certain type of structure such as a log cabin or tidy, white cottage adorned with a climbing rose, here’s your chance! If you’re concerned about the style clashing with that of the main house, position your garden hideaway/work space so that it is tucked behind shrubbery or trees. In the garden, your shed may be a lovely focal point with even its own little yard or it may blend in with the background.

Depending on the style of your shed, you could add dormers, shutters, flowerboxes, finials and/or weathervanes.

On a more practical note, here are some tips for making your garden shed as utilitarian as it is fun or beautiful.

• Windows (and if it’s not too hot in the summer, skylights) make growing seedlings easier and working more pleasant.

• An electrical source (such as electrical wiring or access to GFI outdoor outlets) may be needed for heat and lighting.

• Potting benches for mixing soils and starting seedlings.

• A wood shed needs protection from the elements and termites. Stained and varnished wood will hold up better. Cedar is naturally resistant to water damage, as well as insects. .

• A south facing window or window wall is good for your own lighting needs and for seedlings. Skylights or a plexiglass saltbox roof allows in even more light; however, if your summers are hot, go with a roof that shades, such as shingled, and consider positioning under a shade tree.

• If you want to keep large tools such as a tiller in the shed, be sure the shed is large enough.

• Add shelves for seed starting trays, pots, and plenty of workspace.

Also, consider the advantages of a garden shed that doesn’t have a floor. A thick layer of gravel will absorb water spills, and on hot summer days, you can wet the gravel floor thoroughly with a hose and run an oscillating fan to create evaporative cooling.

Add plenty of racks for hanging garden tools. You may also want to try a sand bin as a temporary, rustproof storage for tools during the day. (Mix course sand with enough vegetable oil to provide moist consistency with a brown sugar like texture).

Last but not least, remember to check with your city hall to see if there are any building permit requirements.