Color For Pots
Winter
Something New For Your Garden
IT ’ S TIME TO
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Turn off the sprinkler system ( unless we have no rain for a few weeks ) give the mower a rest until your lawn is over 3 ” tall and wait to fertilize until early February .
November / December – replant containers with your winter color , plant your wildflower seeds , set up your chiminea or fire pit and enjoy your winter nights in your yard with a cup of hot cocoa and the family .
o December – turn off the sprinkler system to your garden ; bring frost tender plants close to the house and / or in a covered area . o
February – put down a pre-emergent and fertilize with Turf Royal .
Winter can have a lot of beauty when it comes to your planted containers . Planting cool weather vegies like cabbage , purple kale , swiss chard mixed with some perennials like hellebores , ivy or annuals like pansies can brighten up your front porch . Start with your container . What color pallet is it ? Then choose 2-4 plants with the same colors that complement your pottery , choosing 10 ” — 1 gallon plants sometimes looks better than smaller 4 ” ones . It gives it a more finished look and your plants will not grow as fast in the winter . Don ’ t mix too many colors . Purple Kale with purple & yellow pansies mixed with a cream or purple Hellebores looks great and provides different heights to add interest . Using vegies you can also harvest your plants for eating or garnishing your holiday dishes right from your front porch !
Lawn Care
Does my lawn go dormant ? If you have a cool season grass like Fescue , Bluegrass and Ryegrass it does not go dormant in the winter . Living in the wonderful climate that we do we are lucky to have our grass stay green all year round with the proper care . Hopefully you have fertilized your lawn to get it that dark green before Thanksgiving ( Turf Royal 22-7-14 ) – it ’ s the golden rule . The only downfall with the Fescue is if you do not green it up before Thanksgiving it ’ s really tough to get it green until spring ’ s warmer weather .
With the Fescues , which is the primary variety grown in our area , we are lucky to have the drought resistance plus the Fescues slow down in their growth for the winter . As soon as the ground temperature drops so does the mowing , watering and fertilization Yeah !
COMING SOON :
New subsurface irrigation on our front lawn at Garden Accents ! We will be monitoring it to see how much water we save – up to 60 %. o
Stop those pesky annual weeds from spouting by using a pre-emergent in early February .
Brought to you by Garden Accents 11155 Lena Avenue • 408.846.4555 • garden-accents . net
W I N T E R / H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 2 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 27