El Niño inspires winter gardening
February 9, 2010
By Jane Garrison
It is very exciting to have a record-breaking January without frost, the first time that I can remember.OK, so maybe it was a bit below freezing on a night or two in some places, but barely. It’s nice to see the forsythia in full bloom and the buds popping in the woods as I write this.
Our maritime climate is perfect for year-round gardening. Look around now to see what you can plant to extend the seasons in your yard. We don’t have to disappear into our caves with the first frost. Here in Issaquah, we have other options. Think about planting things that bloom or produce fruit or berries in fall and winter. Many plants perform for three and four seasons and make you want to be outside so you don’t miss anything.
Easy to grow, prolific flowers that bloom in winter are Christmas fose (helleborus niger) Lenten rose (helleborus orientalis) snowdrop (galanthus spp.) hardy cyclamen (cyclamen coum) violet (viola spp.) and many more. That is exciting. Plant this spring for bloom next winter.
For easier maintenance than flowers, consider shrubs that bloom in winter. Viburnum bodnantense, viburnum burkwoodii, sarcococca ruscifolia, mahonia ‘Charity’ are mostly evergreen and are in bloom right now. The viburnums and sarcococca smell wonderful and lift you right out of the mid-winter doldrums. Witch Hazel (hammamelis spp.) will surprise you every winter with its blooms. Witch Hazel can take many forms — shrub, small tree or espalier.
Some very showy plants are those in the heath and heather family. They like acid, well-draining soil and summer water with sunny exposure. It is possible through plant selection to keep heaths and heathers blooming throughout the year in our climate. Bloom times for these low, groundcover plants are:
December – April
Varieties of Erica carnea and Erica darleyensis are my favorites here and have a common name of winter heath. If you are not sure of what you are getting, buy them in bloom now.
May – August
Irish heath (daboecia cantabrica var.)
July – October
Scotch heather (calluna vulgaris var.) Many colors and shapes to choose from.
All are evergreen and if you shear them after blooming, they will maintain a full, tidy appearance. Bloom times vary depending on exposure and location. Plant them on a slope or in a rockery for good drainage.
Some of the native shrubs and trees are stellar, four-season show-offs that demand nothing.
With four- or even three-season plants, you’ll never be bored in your garden. If you don’t eat the fruits, nuts and berries, something will, and that will give your garden interest, too. So, don’t think it’s all over after Halloween. If you change your perspective, maybe it’s just getting started.
Jane Garrison is a local master gardener and landscape architect who gardens in glacial till on the plateau.
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