The fall semester means a new start for students and the university, but it marks the end of the year for Newfoundland and Labrador gardens. Here’s some ideas about how you can prepare your garden for the winter and for next spring.
October
Plant spring flowering bulbs. Bulbs should be planted in clumps rather then singly or in straight rows. Taller types can be planted at the back of a perennial bed. Use odd numbers in the clumps because for some mysterious reason groups of three, five or seven look better and more natural then even numbers. Dig a hole in a sunny spot large enough to accommodate the clump. Work a little bone meal into the soil at the bottom of the hole. Arrange the bulbs in the bottom of the hole and backfill with good soil. Planting depth depends on the size of the bulb (dig about twice their diameter).
Clean up perennial beds. If you have kept the garden deadheaded, you won’t have much to do. There is no need to cut the stalks down to the ground. Leave them as they will catch the snow and help protect the crowns. Any fallen leaves or broken stalks can be collected and added to the compost pile. Any diseased or infested foliage should be removed and bagged for the garbage. The old stalks are more easily removed from the plants in the early spring. This will also give you something to do on those nice spring days when we all want to be out in the garden.
November
Water evergreens and broadleaf evergreens (eg. Rhododendrons) well before freeze up. Even if it has been raining off and on, you should ensure that these plants have good moisture content as it is all they will get until spring thaw.
Rake up leaves. This is a good way to make your own leaf mold. Make rows of leaves on the lawn, put a bag on your mowers discharge and run over the leaves until they are all shredded into the bag. This will help the decomposition process when you add them to your compost.
Hill up roses. Cover the plant with a pile of soil to about three inches above the graft union (that knotty thing on the main stem just above the roots). This will help protect the plant during the freeze thaw cycle. Prune hybrid teas to 10 inches. Ensure your shrubs have winter protection. Evergreens should be wrapped with burlap (not plastic) for protection from drying winds. If in a sheltered area, netting can be used to hold branches together as protection from heavy snow and sleet. Rhododendrons should be protected by "teepees" of stakes or “little fences” covered with burlap. Large shrubs can have their branches tied to each other to help support the snow load. Burlap strips or old pantyhose works well for this. Trees and shrubs that are in locations that drift in or are in danger of having snow fall off the house should be given extra protection.
Placing evergreen boughs (fir only, spruce lose their needles within days) is traditional in many Newfoundland gardens. They are useful, if used properly. The idea is to place them after the ground has frozen to keep the soil frozen until spring thaw. Large boughs can be stuck in the ground to provide winter protection for plants like heathers and dwarf Rhododendrons.
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