I thought last year was going to be an anomaly in terms of how late I planted my garlic, but apparently, it’s become the norm. I just finally got it into the ground on Tuesday, which was actually the same date I planted it last year. I used to always plant it by October, because we were usually pretty sure that it was going to get cold and stay pretty cold by that time. Over the years, that planting date has slowly kept moving later and later. Just two years ago, I was amazed that I waited to plant until the early part of November, and now, for the second year in a row, it was almost December. I don’t know exactly what’s in store for us this winter – I have seen so many conflicting forecasts that I’ve given up trying to figure it out, and am just going to wait and see. However, I am happy that it has waited at least this long to really hit us, as it has given me a lot more time to get things done outside – time I desperately needed!
~Jennifer
In this issue:
Vegetables & Herbs
- Clean out your garden, if you haven’t.
- Plant garlic. You can plant garlic all the way up until the ground is frozen.
- Pull weeds now to give you fewer to deal with in the spring.
- Test your soil- it is a good way to know what your soil may be missing.
- Why you should consider planting a cover crop.
Flowers
- Spring-blooming bulbs can still be planted until the ground is frozen.
- Once the ground has frozen, pile mulch on top of your perennials to help protect them from changing temperatures throughout the winter.
Trees & Shrubs
- Put up wind screens for your evergreens.
- Consider spraying evergreens with an anti-desiccant to help keep them from drying out in the cold winter winds.
- Take some precautions to protect your trees from damage this winter.
- How to carefully remove snow from tree and shrub branches.
- How to make your holiday fresh green decorations last longer.
Birds
- With the cold temperatures, birds can use all the help they can get in the form of food, water, and shelter.
- Clean out your birdhouses, but leave them out for the winter.
- Consider putting a de-icer in your birdbath, so that your birds have a source of fresh water all winter.
Store News & Specials
- Come in for all your Christmas Decor and Gift needs.
- Join us December 2 through December 4 for Chelsea’s 30th annual Hometown Holiday celebration.
- $10 off $50 coupon.
Read the December 2016 issue of Let’s Get Gardening
Remember to regularly visit The Garden Mill’s website and follow us on Facebook (fb.com/TheGardenMillChelsea) for our latest gardening and birding tips, as well as seasonal specials and fun stuff going on at the store.