CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/19024
Spring Flowering Bulbs If you want your bulbs to sprout and be brilliant in March or April, you need to get them in the ground right away. They’ll provide early color in your garden when the other plants are just starting to poke through the soil. Prepare the soil thoroughly before planting the bulbs and be sure to plant them with the pointed side up. Compost If you start your backyard compost pile now, you’ll have superior soil to work with in the spring and summer. A compost pile doesn’t have to be elaborate, you need only a 12-inch deep layer of organic material, like fallen leaves. Sprinkle that layer with water, then pour one cup of fertilizer and one cup of ground limestone over the layer for every 10 square feet and just keep adding layers until the pile is the size you want. When you’re ready to use your compost, spread it about three inches deep on your flower bed then mix it with the soil. Mulch Spreading mulch over your garden and flower beds now will help plants and bulbs survive the winter by stabilizing the soil temperature and retaining moisture, plus your beds will look neat and tidy all winter. Winter Protection for Plants and Shrubs Winter protection doesn’t mean keeping plants warm for the season. Rather, it means protecting them from the damaging effects of wind, heavy snow and ice. Wide tape or cloth can also be wrapped around evergreens and other plants to prevent broken branches. An additional layer of mulch will also help your plants make it through the winter. But the best way to keep your plants thriving is simply to water them. Watering is just as important in the winter as in the summer, but is often neglected when the temperatures drop. Cabbages This is a great time for planting cabbages, kales and other leafy greens. Not only are ornamental cabbages and kales edible, their brilliant colors will also brighten up your winter garden. Better yet, their color only increases in intensity after several frosts. Be sure to plant them where they’ll receive full sun, though. They tend to get leggy and not-so attractive in the shade. 56 | November • 2010