Categories: Winter

What to do in Winter in the Sierra foothills garden

'Iceberg' Roses

  • Plant sweet peas. Between rains you can plant sweet peas along a fence or trellis.  It’s amazing how sturdy the stems are on this delicate looking plant.

Narcissus bulbs, 55 to a bag on sale.

  • Plant bulbs. Many bulbs are on sale now and can be planted in groups of 5 or 6 about 6 inches deep. When March arrives, stop and enjoy the ones that are coming up.
  • Plant berries and bare root veggies. How long have you been wanting to plant asparagus or artichokes?  Pick up some at the garden center and start a perennial veggie bed. Blueberries are hot, hot, hot right now and readily available in local nurseries. Plant two for 10% more berries.  Raspberries come in container sized plants now for easy picking right from the patio!  You only need one of berries like blackberries or boysenberries.

‘Iceberg’ Roses

  • Order or plant roses. Any nice day in winter is good for planting bare root or container roses and if they aren’t in stores now they soon will be. Or order from a catalog if there are varieties that you particularly desire.

Roses fter pruning

  • Deadhead asters and other faded blooms. Spiff up the look of the garden by trimming off all the long stems of roses, asters, salvias, penstemons and any other tall, drooping plants past their prime.
  • Bring in a Camellia and float it in a bowl of water. Take advantage of blooming camellias by bringing in a few blooms and floating them in glass or crystal bowls of water. Some bloom as early as this month.  If yours are still in bud, fertilize them every two weeks until they bloom.

Viola ‘Lilac Rose’ goes well in terracotta

  • Plant pots with pansies, stock, snapdragons and primroses. Refresh patio pots or flower beds by the front door with cold hardy annuals.  Be careful not to step into waterlogged beds so as not to compact the soil. That can kill the good organisms which provide oxygen and nutrients to your plants.
  • Move tender potted plants under the eaves or to a sheltered area. Geraniums from summer can be saved from frost by pushing them under the eaves for protection from frost and snow.
  • Re-pot a ‘green’ Christmas tree. If you bought a live tree instead of a cut tree, re-pot it into an attractive container that you can bring indoors each holiday.  Some families have had this tradition for years!
  • Protect hoses, drip systems and tools. Roll out hoses and empty water. Turn off faucets and remove batteries from drip system timers. Check the garden for forgotten tools.

Related posts:

  1. More winter gardening ideas for the Sierra foothills
  2. Best winter flowering plants for the Sierra foothills
  3. December gardening in the Sierra foothills
  4. Melding gardens and gravel in the Sierra foothills
Sue Langley

Sue Langley, a passionate gardener and photographer lives and gardens with her husband and Corgi, Maggie on 7 acres just south of Yosemite, Zone 7 at 3000 feet. She also manages the Flea Market Gardening Facebook page and website.

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Sue Langley
12 years ago

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Sue Langley

“Come to the mountains and get their good tidings, Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~~John Muir”

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