How to Plant a Winter Flower Bed
As a gardener or flower lover, you may think of winter as a bleak season devoid of colorful, blooming plants. While many flowers die off as fall gives way to frost and snow, other plants have adapted specifically to survive in the colder temperatures that winter brings. Gardeners who live in very cold climates with constant harsh weather may be challenged when it comes to winter planting, but others who live in temperate climates can find flowers specifically designed to grow in their zone throughout the cold months. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Choose a location for your winter garden. Try to find an area that faces south for maximum sun exposure. You may need to create a new winter garden bed if the location of your summer garden does not meet this criterion.
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Prepare the flower bed for planting near the end of the summer or the beginning of fall by building a raised flower bed to help your plants thrive. Dig up the flower bed and turn over the soil while mixing in new, nutrient-rich soil--soil tends to compact during cold months and this measure helps air circulate.
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Create a list of the flowers you would like to plant. Check their recommended hardiness zones against your location. Choose plants best suited to your climate.
Research plants such as camellias, daphne and heather, which all enjoy colder climates. Plant names can also tip you off: winter jasmine and snowberry grow in the coldest months of the year. For harsher climates, try bushes that produce colorful berries. Poinsettia, a Christmas favorite, is also an annual that will bloom in the winter.
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Plant your chosen flowers according to their specific planting instructions. Space the flowers 1/2 to 1 inch farther apart than recommended to encourage more air circulation during wet winter months. This keeps water from getting trapped between leaves and encouraging mold or mildew. Arrange plants so the tallest will grow in the back row and the shortest in front to give plants the sunlight they need.
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Cover plants when you expect frost. Winter plants can cope with snow, but frost may kill them. Resist the urge to brush snow off plants unless it becomes so heavy it starts to break branches or starts melting into a thick, icy mess. According to the University of Vermont's Department of Plant and Soil Science, snow actually insulates plants, protecting them against frost and ice.
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Add fertilizer and water, if necessary, as directed on the instructions for each specific plant. Melting snow and rain in the winter may provide enough water, however.
Water plants when there is no snow on the ground and the temperature reaches 40 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, as recommended by Colorado State University. Water your plants in the early afternoon so the water will absorb into the soil rather than later in the day, when temperatures fall and water may simply freeze on the ground.
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- Photo Credit flowering winter cactus petal image by Jorge Moro from Fotolia.com
