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Hello Great Gardener,
Chances are that your yard is filled with branches covered in snow and ice.
You don’t have to remove light snow from trees and shrubs—it’s the heavy stuff that can be damaging. Evergreens trees and shrubs are especially susceptible to having their branches broken after a heavy snowfall because foliage allows the branches to collect large amounts of snow.
When removing snow, try to gently brush it off. Don’t shake the branches as this may cause them to break. If the snow is frozen on the branch and will not brush off easily, it is best to let it melt naturally, to avoid damage to the tree or shrub.
If ice has accumulated, then it’s time to leave the branches alone and let it all melt off. If you try to remove the ice at this point, you will likely just cause more damage. Do not spray any de-icing salts on the trees because those chemicals are toxic to trees. Also (this may sound like a no-brainer, but it has been done) avoid trying to melt the ice with a blow torch or other flame source. This will result in burned buds and damage to other vital tissues.
In most cases, it is best to let mother nature do her thing (and snow is actually a good insulator), but if it is necessary to remove, follow the above suggestions.
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As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, hit reply. I would love to hear from you. Have a great-gardening day.
Sincerely,
Holly
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Grow Red-Twig Dogwoods For Winter Color
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Photo by Janet Blight Garden Designs
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Article Courtesy Of Monrovia
Though beautiful throughout the seasons (pretty leaves, flowers, berries), red-twig dogwood saves the best for winter, when its stems shoot up like fiery flares into the drab and snowy skies. Do as designer Janet Bligh did here and site them when you can really admire their blistering hue against winter’s bluster. You’ll be in for one unforgettable sight. Very easy to grow, but a few tricks can help you to get the best from them.
(Above) Red-twig dogwood is a tall shrub native to North America where it grows in wet marshy areas such as the banks of lakes and streams. Look at the bonfire of color it brings when planted with golden sedge .
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1. Light: They can tolerate some shade but for the most brilliant red (or yellow depending on the variety) color plant in full sun.
2. Growth: This plant spreads by producing suckers. (Suckers are vigorous vertical growth coming from the roots or lower main stem of a plant.) If you want an expanse of red-twig dogwood go ahead and leave it alone, but if you need to manage the plant remove suckers ASAP. Remove suckers by clipping off the entire stem at the base of the plant with clean, sharp pruners.
3. Pruning: Because the youngest stems have the brightest color, you’ve got to regularly prune away the old ones that have faded in order to have that stunning effect. Pruning should be done when the plants are dormant in February and March. Either remove about 1/3 of the oldest stems each year, or as an alternative to annual pruning, prune all stems close to the ground in early spring every 2-3 years to renew. In spring new stems will emerge and will reveal their bright color in the fall.
Follow these three tips and you’ll have that #gardenenvy red-twig look in winter.
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3 Red-Twig Dogwoods You Will Love!
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Red Twig Dogwood
Among the largest of the red-twig dogwoods. Current year’s growth features outstanding coral-red branches on a multi-stemmed shrub. Up to 9′ tall and 5′ wide. Partial to full sun. Zone: 2 – 8
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Variegated Red Twig Dogwood
Vigorous and adaptable, naturally forms a thicket of upright, blood red stems clothed by variegated leaves. Up to 8′ tall, 6′ wide. Partial to full sun. Zone: 2 – 8
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Yellow Twig Dogwood
A yellow-twig dogwood is just a different cultivar of a red-twig dogwood! If you really want a traffic-stopping show, plant red and yellow ones together. Up to 8′ tall, 9′ wide. Partial to full sun.
Zone: 2 – 8
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The Aloe Vera plant is an easy, attractive succulent that makes for a great indoor companion. Aloe Vera is known as the burn plant due to the gel that comes from the leaves when they are broken. This gel can be used to sooth minor burns. Keeping an aloe in the kitchen can come in handy.
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Vinca 'Tattoo Raspberry'
A fun, bold head-turning flower, each petal looks like it is inked or airbrushed with soft brush strokes of dark purple. Eye-Catching even in a small planting, the look is enhanced by large, overlapping petals on upright, bushy, well-branched plants. Grow in your garden beds, or plant in containers to best appreciate these unique beauties close-up.
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This age-old tradition started in Europe as Candlemas Day. The tradition of using an animal to predict the weather was brought to Pennsylvania by German immigrants. But in Germany, badgers, and bears were used instead of groundhogs.
The first Groundhog Day in America, was held on February 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
According to Groundhog Day folklore, if the groundhog emerges from his burrow and sees his shadow, winter will last another six weeks. If the groundhog does not see his shadow, then spring will arrive early.
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Painting With Ryan
Saturday, February 2, 2019
Time: 1:00 pm
Cost: $25 per person + tax
Limit of 15 people
CLASS FULL!
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Boston Fern Hanging Baskets
2 for $25
(Regular $19.99 each)
Pre-Order Online For Pickup In Store Mid-April.
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