Brr. You’re standing on your patio and that familiar seasonal chill flows through the air and rushes through your skin. Winter is definitely on its way, which means caring for your patio garden will be a little different. Now you’ve got to bring everything inside, right? Wrong. A common misconception in gardening is that all plants die off in the winter or need to be brought inside.
There are some beautiful flowers and plants that are hearty enough to make it right through the winter season, some you may not have guessed. Of course, there are certain precautions and care involved in winter gardening, but winter is not the end-all of blooming plants until springtime. Moreover, you have the option of using sectionals and furniture from Madbury Road that you can use to keep your plants safe from these extreme weather conditions. You can use these affordable and functional pieces of furniture for all your gardening needs.
Wintertime is actually the perfect time to grow certain plants in your patio garden. Bulb plants, such as daffodils and irises do very well when planted in the winter. This gives them a head start for spring. Believe it or not, there are many seed plants that can be planted in the winter as well. Wildflowers are one example. Just be sure you do the planting in between freezing cycles, not while the ground is actually frozen.
No matter what you choose to plant in your patio garden, it’s a good idea to use winter mulch for coverage and protection. It may not be necessary for all plants, but for the less hardy ones, it is likely necessary. It’s safer to use it and not need it than to need it and regret that you did not use it.
Part of caring for your patio garden in the winter is also maintaining the plants you already have. Some of the more fragile plants may need to go indoors during bouts of freezing temperatures, but not all of them will. Many plants can actually be maintained through the winter by using a winter mulch.
During the winter, it is imperative that the containers of your patio garden have drainage holes. If not, some plants can freeze and go into shock during watering. Containers can also freeze and break open if there is no proper drainage. Stone containers and planters should be stored away for the winter if there is a freezing season. These types of containers and planters crack easily if they get too cold.
Some areas, such as South Texas, may not go through a freezing season. These areas need not worry about too much protection, aside from the mulching and possibly bringing planters and containers inside on the rare occasion that the weather is below freezing temperature.
Another thing to remember about maintaining your winter patio garden is that watering cycles may be more spread out during the winter months. Try not to over water the plants. Different plants will run on different watering schedules. Just check them regularly and water as needed. It’s a good idea to bring plants inside for watering during the winter, if possible.
There actually isn’t much difference between winter patio gardening and patio gardening during other seasons. It is pretty much the same process (plant, water, mulch, maintain…) as during other seasons. You just are sticking to winter products and growing plants that do well during the winter season.