I get this question a lot from friends at holiday parties and soccer parents standing on the sidelines, “What do you do in winter?” Perhaps it’s my older casual clothes that hint at financial distress. I don’t know. But there is definitely lots to do in winter. Let’s take a look at some examples.
Details
When lawn care starts in spring and the season hits, it’s hard to find time for little details. So we take care of them in winter.
Ivy
The ivy (Hedera helix) is growing on the sidewalk so we cut it back from the sidewalk and off the Pachysandra terminalis groundcover.
Deadheading
You can snip off the spent flower heads on plants like Hydrangeas but it’s OK to keep them for the winter. This home gardener prefers to have something to look at. Everywhere else on site, the spent Hydrangeas flowers have been clipped.
Plant separation
It’s a good idea to get plant separation. Here the Euonymus groundcover is growing through the Berberis. I cut it back and pulled it off so the plants are separated.
Dead
I removed the dead parts of this Viburnum davidii. Dead branches look unsightly. We want our sites to look sharp and healthy.
Broken branches
We can’t tolerate broken branches on shrubs or trees. Open wounds only invite disease in and the look is horrible. Yes, this cut made a bit of a ‘hole’ in this Viburnum davidii but it had to be done. Remember, our sites should look clean and healthy.
Finesse bedwork
This is a big one when winter weather allows for it. Last winter was terrible; this winter we can easily weed, cultivate and deep edge planted beds. This works adds sharpness to our sites.
Deep edging
This is an ideal winter task. Remove all debris and make sure your deep edges are ninety degrees. The edges make your site look sharp and should last for months. I prefer deep ankle-busters but you can go shallow, if you like. Just insist on ninety degrees.
Plant ID
Since winters are a bit slower, we can stop to notice plants in the landscape. I take pictures of most plant tags. Stealing them is not a good idea on your own work sites.
There are many more winter tasks landscape professionals perform in winter but this list above should give you a good idea.
