The large amount of snow we received earlier in the season prompts a reminder blog post from yours truly: your hip, non-hipsta’ gardener.

Garden plants of all types took a beating as the first winter system of the season blew through Michiana. The weight of accumulating snow bent many plants to the ground. With leaves still on many plants, the snow had more surface area upon which to sit, thus compounding our concerns. Thankfully, many stems still had sap flowing downward to the roots; this kept them more pliable. However, come the drier air of winter, the same stems are more prone to snapping.

Periodic walks in the winter garden are not only great cures for seasonal affective disorder, but one can keep an eye on possible threats to the garden like wet heavy snow or ice. Wellfield staff spent hours walking the garden blowing snow off vulnerable plants. There are, of course, as many ways to protect against heavy snow as there are enterprising gardeners, so I shan’t bother to reinvent the wheel here, but just a friendly reminder from a gardener on Main Street to keep one eye to the sky and the other to your favorite pie, so you do not let snow lie.

Josh Steffen, Horticulture and Facilities Manager