Hello everyone! It’s your friendly gardener on Main Street, coming at you with another wild and wacky gardening thought. Just for a minute, let us role play, shall we? Let’s say you are in your tenth day of quarantine this winter. You have stayed inside and watched everything Netflix has to offer, and you are either going to start swinging the frying pan at the nearest household member, or you’ll just lay down and cry. Perhaps the short, overcast days have you down and you need something to perk up your wintry rest. Well, I have a solution for you: weed. You might think me crazy, but why not? 

If this winter trends toward the mild, or if we “thaw” a stretch of mild weather heading our way  (see what I did there?), weeding is a golden opportunity you might not want to miss. Buried beneath the snow and ice, those pesky winter annual weeds are just waiting for spring to arrive so they can spread like wildfire throughout the flower bed. Why not get a jump on the spring season and do a bit of weed removal now? Of course, if the ground is frozen, or otherwise unyielding to your strenuous efforts, then obviously you will need to catch them later.

Weeding is not the only “out of season” thing you can do in your garden during a winter thaw. Late fall through very early spring is a golden time to spread compost in the garden. Plants have died back and the ground is cleared, making spreading humic joy an easier task. Wellfield staff often utilize that time frame to spread compost and mulch on a large scale.

Whatever your situation, there may be some good opportunities heading your way to get a head start on those weeds and make your neighbors jealous this spring when they are frantically pulling weeds while you are catching up on your streaming.

Josh Steffen, Horticulture and Facilities Manager

Missed any of Josh’s latest posts? Here are some recent ones:

• 
  Alternatives to a Conventional LawnMay 14, 2022
  Culivated, manicured lawns have a storied history and come with their own set of issues. Today, Kyle offers some alternative groundcover options for you to explore for your landscape.
• 
  Water Retention and DiversionApril 30, 2022
  At Wellfield, more than half of our acreage is water. Really, we’re all about water! But how do we manage the water when there is too much? Today, Mary looks at some of our “hidden” water retention and detention methods.
• 
  Garden Mutants: Fasciation and VariegationApril 23, 2022
  Sometimes, our horticulture staff finds “treasures” in the Gardens – sometimes these come in the form of unusual mutated plants. Today, Cody shares some of his favorites.
• 
  The Amazing AzaleaApril 16, 2022
  As we watch them begin to bloom, Cody asks the question: what is the difference between an azalea and a rhododendron? 
• 
  Pollinator-friendly gardensApril 9, 2022
  What are pollinators? When many hear the word pollinator, they immediately think of bees. While bees are major pollinators, so are birds, bats, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, wasps, and small mammals. They all contribute to an ecosystem that is responsible for 1 of every 3 bites of food you take, and one that adds $217 …

  Continue reading Pollinator-friendly gardens

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