Greetings on the shortest day of the year! For the landscape, winter is a great time to tidy up, Winter is also a time to focus on the beauty of the season. Many trees and shrubs have berries they hold onto during winter, and those can provide food for birds overwintering in our area.

December

Most leaves are down and are being removed from your turf and beds. We are also scheduling pine needle and hardwood mulch applications for January and February.  Mulch will increase the soil temperatures around your plants by at least 10 degrees. Mulching also helps conserve soil moisture, reduce soil temperature fluctuations, and suppress weed seed germination. Popular mulches include pine needles, pine bark, and shredded pine or double hammered hardwood. If you are interested in this service and not currently on list, contact [email protected]    or call 704-335-3775.

January

In January, we place orders for spring annual flowers. Orders must be placed early with our vendors to guarantee plant selection and quantities. A flower notice will arrive after the holidays so we hope you will have more time to sit back and relax while reviewing your choices.

Cold temperatures certainly reduce the desire to garden, but don't completely abandon your plants. Many trees, evergreens and newly planted shrubs still require a little extra water in the winter months. Evergreens such as Rhododendron will curl in response to cold, but that doesn't necessarily reflect a lack of water! If the soil looks dry and feels dry, do your plants a favor and water.

 

February

The Charlotte area is predicted to see below average snow this winter and near normal temperatures. That means that we will have to wait and see. Some February garden tasks, though, can be predicted: