Another year of gardening is in the books! While many gardeners are taking a bit of a break from gardening chores, it is a great time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t over the past year. Many gardeners stop watering when temperatures cool off, but water is not only needed when it is warm. The thing to monitor is the amount of rainfall. Water is needed even in the winter if it is dry and has lower-than-average humidity, coupled with the wind. It just isn’t a daily need like it can be in the summer. Pay attention as you head into winter. Newly planted or transplanted trees and shrubs will need water when dry, and container plants also dry out quickly. Shallow-rooted vegetables and winter annuals will benefit from supplemental water if dry, particularly before a harsh freeze.
Along with a bit of water, winter annuals, including pansies and violas, would benefit from some fertilizer periodically on a warm winter. This will keep them blooming better.
Winter vegetables can grow all winter, provided the temperatures don’t drop too low. Keep some covering handy, and if temperatures are predicted much below 28, you should protect them with an overturned box, pot, or row cover. Harvest as needed throughout the winter but avoid contact when leaves are frozen since they will be brittle.
All landscape plants, including lawns, can be brittle when temperatures are below freezing. If you get winter precipitation from ice, stay away from your plants until they thaw. Branches can snap quickly when ice is on them. If you get heavy snow, lightly brushing it away with gentle sweeps below the branches can prevent limbs from breaking with the weight, but use caution. If you experience weather-damaged plants, assess the damage once the snow and/or ice is gone. If there are broken branches, prune to remove any dangling limbs. If leaves are burned, ignore them until spring. Pruning off cosmetic damage too early could expose the plant to damage further.
Many gardeners notice that their azalea plants have much yellow foliage on them. This is their annual old leave shed for most of the plants. Some evergreen plants shed leaves periodically all season, while others shed once a year. If you look closely, the yellowing leaves are those closest to the bottom of the branch. The tip leaves and buds are still green. White and light pink varieties are more prone to dramatic yellowing than darker flowering forms, but it is nothing to be worried about.
As one season ends, begin planning for the season ahead. Catalogs are arriving fast these days, and there are many new and exciting things to try. Start planning, and be sure to try something new each year.
Watch for greening in your lawn as January continues. This greening in a dormant, warm season grass will not be lawn grass but winter weeds. If you can catch them early, you can stop their growth.
Plant of the Month – Pansies
Pansies are the most popular winter annual flower grown in Arkansas gardens. Pansies come in various sizes, colors, and types, from blues to reds, yellows, whites, oranges, pinks, and purples, with even a few black ones thrown in. There are solid colors without faces (called “clears”), bi-colors with contrasting faces, and blended colors, giving you a mix in each bloom. Intense breeding has developed flowers that can get as large as four and a half inches across on lovely green foliage. It is hard to believe that these large, brightly-colored flowers are descendants of the quiet, diminutive woodland violets.
The flowers have a velvety texture and bloom over a long period. Pansies thrive in cool weather and will bloom until hot weather causes them to decline next summer. They can be planted from October through early January to late March through April, although spring-planted plants are relatively short-lived in the garden.
Plant them in a well-drained location with moderately rich soil or in containers. They will grow in full sun to partial shade. Those in full sun will fade away sooner in the summer, but by then, you will have plenty of other plants to replace them. Fertilize at planting and during any warm spell throughout the winter.
Very few pests attack pansies; however, some gardeners are plagued by rabbits and occasionally squirrels. Use whatever resources you have to deter them, although a light scattering of blood meal has been known to do the trick.
Pansies are also considered edible flowers. They are used in salads, crystallized, and used as cake decoration. If you decide to nibble on your pansies, ensure they have not been sprayed with pesticides before doing so.
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