Home for the Holidays
The 2020 holiday season is shaping up to look a little different this year. Travel bans, telecommuting and remote learning will all mean more time at home, especially during the daylight hours. I used to say that I would put so much effort into decorating the outside of my house, and only the package delivery drivers really got to appreciate it, since my husband and I would both leave and return to our house in the dark! This year however, like many others, we will be able to fully enjoy the beautiful greenery and holiday décor that “spruces up” the outside of our house.
Here are a few tips for creating the perfect greenery display:
1) For urns and other containers, follow the “Thrill, Fill, Spill” rules for container gardening – start with an interesting taller element (birch logs, red twig dogwood branches, or even grapevine balls) for the center of your container; next add stiffer bulky greens like balsam fir, yew, or holly clippings to fill in the middle; finally use softer, draping greens like incense cedar and white pine for the lower part of your container that will hang over the edge – you can reserve some of the softer, floppy balsam branches for this level as well
2) Spray all of your greens with an anti-transpirant, (a liquids that you spray on your plants to shield them from moisture loss.) such as Wilt-Pruf - this pine resin-based formula prevents the greenery from losing moisture through leaves or needles and will help them stay greener longer; avoid spraying plants such as blue spruce or juniper with berries, as it will dull the “blue” coloring
3) Floral wire is your friend - this thin green wire blends in with greens and is easy to cut; it can be used to secure roping, hang wreaths, and add decorative elements like bows, pinecones and berries to wreaths and urns
Our experts are here to help if you need it! We can create a holiday décor package tailored to your needs, whether that is as simple as a few urns and single wreath, to a more elaborate display with window boxes, roping, swags and greenery from your mailbox to your front door! Call us today to schedule your consultation in time for the holidays.
Preventing Winter Damage
Now that the leaves have fallen and winter is at our doorstep, you don’t have to worry about your plants anymore, right? Not so fast…
Watering
Before you stow all those hoses away and winterize all of your faucets, take a look around your yard - any plants that were installed this fall, or struggled over the summer due to the drought, should be watered as long as possible into the fall. Consistent snow cover will insulate soil and add moisture as it melts, but if we have a dry winter you will want to break out the hose if the ground thaws during warm spells (just be sure to winterize the faucet again once you are done).
Anti-Transpirants
Another way to prevent winter dry out is by applying an anti-transpirant spray, such as Wilt-Pruf, to evergreen plants, particularly broadleaf evergreens such as boxwoods and hollies. This reduces moisture lost though transpiration and helps prevent wind burn. Avoid spraying plants such as blue spruce or juniper with berries, as it will dull the “blue” coloring.
Burlap & Twine
Plants are wrapped in burlap for a few reasons – to prevent snow from breaking branches, to reduce wind burn and/or to prevent deer browsing. Newly planted broadleaf evergreens (Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Hollies) are often not winter hardy for the first few years and benefit from this added protection. If burlap is not needed, but you are still concerned about plants splaying from snow, twine can be used to tie up the branches (particularly recommended for columnar plants with upright branches like Sky Pencil Holly, Columnar Boxwood, and Hicks Yews).
Deer Netting & Spraying
Plants that do not need burlap protection but still need to be protected from deer browsing can be netted and/or sprayed with a deer repellant. Yews, Mountain Laurels and Azaleas are deer favorites, but they often browse Rhododendrons and Blue Hollies as well. Where netting is not feasible (large, sprawling evergreen plants or deciduous twiggy plants like hydrangeas and red twig dogwoods) deer repellant should be sprayed routinely throughout the winter. You may need to vary the brand of repellant you use as the deer tend to ignore the same repellant over time.
Trunk Protection
Mice and rabbits can eat the tender bark on the trunks of newly installed trees. A commercially available plastic spiral covering can be added, or you can install a ring of heavy wire mesh around the base of the trunk. Typically a couple of feet is sufficient, but remember that if the snow piles up, these critters can gain access higher up the trunk, so be sure to remove snow from around these trees or go higher up with the mesh.
If you need assistance with your winter protection, give us a call, we are ready to help all season long!
Ashley Hill, TM Landscaping Landscape Designer