As the soil temperature drops and the rain falls, we eagerly embark on our year-long, much-anticipated winter projects.
Head Gardener Shannon Boden
Winter is a season of opportunities at Hollard Garden. It’s the perfect time to relocate shrubs and trees to better locations, divide Hostas, Heliniums, Rudbeckias and other herbaceous perennials and finally allow potted plants to spread their roots into the subsoil. As the soil temperature drops and the rain falls, we eagerly embark on our year-long, much-anticipated winter projects.
I love the autumn colours but that also means a lot of leaves so the team has been raking almost every day. One tip I love to pass onto other enthusiastic gardeners is to not let anything go to waste. Weeds, prunings, seasonal herbaceous material and any other organic material can go back into the nutrient cycling system. So this colourful confetti of yellows, reds and browns have become a blanket of insulation for the soil, decomposing into rich, humic matter that will nourish and protect the soil for years to come.
We have earmarked several areas for simplification, thinning trees to let in more light and reconfiguring pathways. The garden and the landscape are continually growing and evolving, making winter the ideal time to implement necessary changes. As trees and shrubs settle into dormancy, we can bring many exciting garden plans to life. Though the garden may be resting for the winter, it’s now time for the gardeners to get to work.
While the fire roars inside and a hot cup of tea is inviting, we are outside, thoughtfully preparing for spring. The great thing about gardening is envisioning the possibilities of what might come to be in the months ahead.
Shannon Boden
Head Gardener Hollard Gardens