THIS MONTH'S GARDENING FEATURE ...

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If you are anything like our staff you are already fantasizing over what you will do this spring to enhance your home landscape. When you look over your dormant landscape what do you see? Do you see a flowerbed loaded with color? Or how about a patio decked out with exotic colors that bring to mind summer cookouts with friends and family? Perhaps this is the year that you learn how to grow herbs and vegetables you’ll cook with the rest of the year?

One redeeming point to the winter months is the fact that your landscape becomes a blank canvas that you can plant out in your mind’s eye. A good place to start is to jot down the ideas you have plus a list of plants you’ve been dreaming of. The winter garden will expose both the flaws and possibilities of your landscape for you to explore. Do your existing evergreens provide the structure needed to support a multi-layered garden that will unfold month by month, week by week in the coming spring, summer and fall seasons? Why not take a snap shot of your landscape?

Why not use your digital camera to literally ‘frame’ out the focal points you would like to create in your home landscape. Next, consider not only what you would like to add to your landscape, but also what might look better when you remove it. Make a list of any overgrown shrubs and trees that obstruct a view, or otherwise look out of place. Think of it as virtual pruning. You know a solid practice in pruning is to eliminate any and all ‘deadwood’ from the tree or shrub. What do you see in your mind’s eye that doesn’t belong, or would look better somewhere else in the garden?

Take a series of photos from the vantage point of the home’s picture windows, or patio views – from both perspectives. You might discover that your landscape holds some undiscovered treasures. What about adding a seating area that looks back to your home?  Perhaps you can add some hardscape features like a firepit or a water feature.

Make notes of the amount of sunlight your yard gets throughout the day. In many cases you can begin to get an idea of how much light you are losing to tall or overgrown shade trees. For many mature landscapes that shade tree planted ten to twenty years ago has become a real obstacle to the potential of your landscape or garden. This is a good time to contact a tree specialist to look at pruning or perhaps even removing overgrown trees.

Next take pen or pencil to paper and sketch out a simple drawing showing the placement of existing trees and shrubs. Take a tape measure, or step off distances, to determine the true dimension of your yard or specific garden. Then take your notes you took from your measurements of sunlight and add them to your landscape plans. This will help you put the right plant in the right place. This is also important when you are selecting plants so you can determine if the mature size of the plant will work well in that space.

Now the fun part! This is a great time to go through your gardening magazines and books to spark some exciting new plants and garden elements to add this spring. Make a list of the plants you like, or specific garden elements like a fountain, garden accent or planter you’d love to add to your landscape.

Finally, bring in your notes to the garden center so we can help you bring your ideas to reality. Our staff can help you with any design details, adjust ideas or perhaps consider some exciting new plants or products you might not yet be familiar with. This is a perfect time to get that personal attention that can help you create your own living masterpiece!