Winter Burn on Boxwood
This winter was particularly cold for a long period of time. We also had less snow than normal. A prolonged January thaw and early warm temperatures, mean the the boxwoods had a particularly rough time this winter.
The majority of my box has winter burn. It’s not really a big deal, they’ll bounce back. They just look a little sad for a while. For the most part, I don’t worry about it much. They key is to not prune the winter kill out too soon. Sometimes the plants bounce nicely. They need a good pruning this spring anyways, I’ll make sure to remove any brown bits that remain in May when I prune.
Did any of your shrubs suffer this winter?
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Winter Interest
One of the things I love about hydrangeas is the winter interest they add to the garden. The dried blossoms look great throughout the winter, though this time of year they’re starting to snap off and tumbleweed across the yard during wind storms.
These are ‘Annabelle’ hydrangeas that look fantastic in the summer. You can see the echo of their summer glory.
None of my other hydrangeas have any dried blooms left, they are all planted in areas that get quite a bit of wind. Only these bushes planted up against the house get enough protection.
Hopefully, as hedges grow and windbreaks are planted more and more of them will retain blooms throughout the winter to add some much needed interest in the garden.
What’s your favorite shrub for winter interest in the garden?
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Knock, Knock, Knock
We’ve been having fairly warm weather, which means the snow has melted off leaving some bare ground. I think this time of year is rather ugly, but the birds get really excited. They spend their days scratching around on any thawed portion of earth they can find. Once they’re done with that they come hang out on the stoop waiting for me to give them some food.
I’d rather they not do this, as they leave little gifts all over the front walkways. This weekend I plan on putting up a few electric fences to not only keep them contained, but to protect them from the foxes that will start trying to nab them here soon.
What’s happening on your front porch this week?
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Ding, Ding, Ding…
For my birthday this past summer, a friend gave me this lovely wind chime for the garden. It’s made from vintage silverware, silver plated silverware, which always makes a lovely sound. I was worried it would be a bit bright and harsh, but it actually sounds lovely.
It’s right by the front door, hanging in the old apple tree. I can hear it when I come and go. My grandmother always had a big windchime in her garden, the kind with the giant pipes that played low melodious notes. Every time I hear one I think of her. Someday, I may get one like that.
Do you have wind chimes in the garden? Do you like them?
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Tap, Tap, Tap…
When we lived in Ohio, Valentine’s day was always the day we tapped our maple trees. We’d put in one tap and wait until it started flowing, then we’d tap the rest of the maple trees. Typically, I tap the trees in late February here in Maine. When Mr Chiots looked at the forecast, he said it looked like perfect sugaring weather.
I decided to tap one tree to monitor the flow, as soon as I started drilling the hole the sap started flowing.
I ended up putting in 8 taps yesterday, all but one was flowing. I may add more tomorrow, but I may stop at 8. Coincidentally, Valentine’s Day is also the day I fertilize all my indoor citrus trees as well. I find setting major holidays as dates to do certain chores works very well for me.
Is maple syrup produced in your area? Do you have set holidays when you do certain chores?
If you’d like to read more about small scale maple sugaring, I highly recommend this book: Backyard Sugarin’: A Complete How-To Guide (4th Edition)
