Winter gardening means different things to different people. We’re going to give you some general tips on winter gardening.

Crocuses

Plant your crocuses. Crocuses are one of the very few perennial plants that will flower in January or February—even in the snow. Plant the little corms in the fall (like right now), and they will bloom in the very early spring, technically still winter. It’s not too late to plant tulips and daffodils now, too. You can plant right up until the ground is frozen.

You can also plant crocuses in your lawn. Once it warms up and you start to mow, you can just mow down the spent blooms, and they will come back next year.

Winter interest

For some winter gardening means having something interesting to look at in the winter. There are some annuals and perennials that can be left all winter because they look interesting. For example, poppy seed heads will stand tall even in the rain and snow. If you have pampas grass, Cortaderia selloana, those tufts in the center can be left through the winter.

Winter vegetables

There are some winter vegetables that can continue to grow and produce in the winter. Peas are famous for this. Lettuce likes the cold weather, too, although it will probably need a little cover.

Feeding Wildlife

If providing some food for wildlife is important to you, there are a number of shrubs that have berries in the winter including several types of holly, firethorn, and chokecherry. If you grew sunflowers in the summer, you can leave the seed heads on for birds in the winter.

Getting Ready for Spring

You may be using this time to add to your vegetable garden, getting the dirt ready for spring. You may be tidying up all your flowers. However, keep in mind that leaving some of the spent blooms is good for insects. It’s not absolutely necessary to make everything tidy just yet.

For many, the most important part of winter gardening is getting the garden ready for spring. But there is much beauty in the winter landscape. Be sure to stop and appreciate every day what you are seeing as the seasons change.

Art Knapp has 15 locations across British Columbia and is well known as the go-to garden centre for everything garden-related. Art Knapp, himself, began the business in the 1940's, and now, 80 years later, you can find more than he ever dreamed of in our stores. Come and see us on King George Boulevard in Surrey.

If you have any questions about this article or want to talk to us about gardening, just give us a call at (604) 596-9201.