Winter Chores in Your Ocean Shores Garden:
The Rains have just started. A few Pollinator Plants are perhaps still in bloom, especially this season, as we have seen more sun and less rain than our usual Falls. Our Storm Season is just about on us. Although there is still some time to plant, it is also time to ready the garden for winter.
Fall is a great time to plant perennials. Plants have several months and abundant water to get settled into their new home and to develop root systems. This gives them a head start for spring and more time to reach greater depths to survive our drier summers. Trees, woody shrubs, ground covers, and spring flowering bulbs are good selections to plant now. Recall though that fall sunlight will not be the same as that of spring or summer. Be sure to consider the plant’s sunlight needs as well as drainage and soil types when deciding what to plant where. Remember the golden rule of gardening: Right Plant, Right Place.
Trees are great to plant in the fall. A few that have done well at Ocean Shores and have shown some deer resistance here:
Monkey Tail Tree (Araucaria araucana or A. imbricata) – a primitive looking, slow growing, evergreen conifer, which can grow to 70 feet. It prefers full sun but is not terribly particular about soil.
Cyprus (Cupressus) – an evergreen conifer with tiny, scale-like leaves, that can grow to 40 feet. It needs full sun and does well without extra water during our dry summers.
Pine (Pinus) – many species that vary in size, and sunlight or soil conditions do well here. Be sure to check the size and needs of any varieties you consider.
Spruce (Picea) – P. engelmanni is native to this area but others do well here too. Dwarf varieties look better in smaller Ocean Shores gardens.
Woody shrubs and herbs are excellent choices to get started in the fall. Since these will be the “perfect” height for deer grazing, select those with strong scents that deer usually avoid: Lavender (Lavandula), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Juniper (Juniperus), or Barberry (Berberis). Heathers (Calluna) and Heaths (Erica) grow well here too and are rarely bothered by deer. The best way to tell the difference is that Heathers bloom from late July to early September. Heaths bloom January through March. Do not forget our natives: Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), Pacific Wax Myrtle (Myrica californica), Rhododendron, Twinflower (Linnaea borealis), and Salal (Gaultheria shallon).
The groundcovers Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphyllus uva-ursi) and Lithodora (Lithodora diffusa) are great fall starts too.
After your fall planting, there are winterizing chores to tend to. Make any soil improvements such as adding lime to raise the pH and offset our rains. Then cover with compost. Prune evergreens for shape. Set down a couple of inches of mulch around perennials such as roses (that are fence protected, since they do not stand a chance against our deer otherwise) Rhodes, berries or overwintering vegetables like asparagus. Trim mums to 4-6 inches after they have finished blooming and mulch heavily. Cut off (rather than pull up) any leftover plant material from vegetable and annual gardens. Clean up the garden and weed one last time. Mulch any empty beds to prevent erosion and add nutrients for next season.
After your garden is all cleaned up, mulched, and ready for winter, look to your garden accessories. Drain and store hoses. Clean, sharpen, lightly oil, and store garden tools, away from the rain.
In the house where you have plants, close nearby windows and block any wind drafts. I keep a couple of dark colored, towels for one window where I always seem to feel drafts. I place orchids under lights and on heating pads to keep the air about 70o during the colder months. You might consider heating pads for other tropical house plants too. I reduce or stop fertilizing all of my house plants, and water them a little less.
If you have a bed in Ocean Shores’ Community Garden (Garden by The Sea) cut off any remaining vegetable or annual plant material. The garden managers will sprinkle each bed with a light layer of lime and cover with a few inches of straw. Be sure to let Board Members know if you plan to try some winter gardening or if you have planted anything for next spring. Now, sit back and get ready for the Holidays. Keep on the lookout at area grocery and hardware stores and nurseries for this season’s holiday plants!
This article was originally printed in The Ocean Observer, October 2018.
