The winter days are gray and cold and everyone prefers to make themselves comfortable at home and if possible, not untilSpringto go out. TheGarden in JanuaryBut it still needs planning and care so that it becomes even more beautiful when the sun appears behind the clouds. What else should you pay attention to in the ornamental garden? Read on.
Garden in January – garden planning for the coming spring
Now is the time to think about a country-style garden. What you call it exactly – a garden in country style or in a country style, it doesn’t really matter! The important thing is that it always looks beautiful and is full of rural charm! Typical of such a garden are not only beautiful flowers, but also a variety of other plants such as various vegetables or ornamental grasses. In a rural courtyard garden there is always room for geraniums, marigolds, fire sage, cockscomb, foxglove, St. John's wort and yellow yarrow, mallow, monkshood, various vegetables and many other beautiful crops. If you grow seedlings yourself, you will reduce the costs of creating the garden. You can also find many seeds in specialist shops. Now is the time to get the seeds you want from different species and varieties.
Garden in January – tips for plants in the ornamental garden
Your juniper must also look beautiful
Check the bushes and trees - if their bark is not damaged by mice and rabbits. Pay particular attention to the conifers. It could happen, sometimes branches of thuja and pine trees break because of too much snow on them.
Early flowering, winter hardy shrubs
There are some hardy shrubs that require little care and winter protection during the cold season. An example of this is the Japanese ornamental quince. This beautiful plant originally comes from Japan, as the name suggests, but is also widespread in other countries in the Far East. It also beautifies some front gardens and green areas in Europe, where the Japanese quince is a real eye-catcher with its wonderfully bright orange-red flowers. This delicate plant is cold-hardy. In principle, the Japanese quince does not need any winter protection because its flower buds are naturally protected from the cold. Under the cover of snow or ice, the flower buds do not open until the warm days come. And when the buds have opened in spring,magnificent colors are created. Please note that in winter the plant only needs a little water and waterlogging must be avoided! The Japanese ornamental quince prefers a sunny location even in winter!
Red coneflower (Echinacea) – beautiful and useful
(Photo) Large, red flowers of Echinacea attract the attention of visitors in every garden from July to October. This popular garden plant is also grown for medicinal purposes. Caring for it is quite easy because the coneflower plant is undemanding. It prefers a sunny location and nutrient-rich soil. In winter you should protect the Echinacea against severe night frosts with some straw or brushwood.
Decorative cabbage is becoming increasingly popular
We know different types of cabbage - white cabbage, red cabbage, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, etc..., etc... But for several years now, florists have been offering a new type of cabbage, the decorative cabbage, which is attracting a lot of interest. With this plant you can create very beautiful and interesting decorations.
The biggest fans of decorative cabbage are the Japanese, who grew it back in the Middle Ages and know many varieties that differ depending on their shape and color.
Decorative cabbage is cold-resistant. It only shows its true beauty in mid-September, as the intensity of its leaf colors depends on the cool nights. This ornamental plant is resistant to wind, rain and frost. The snow forms a protective layer for the decorative cabbage, allowing it to survive until spring. The characteristics of ornamental cabbage shown above make it a preferred ornamental plant when all other ornamental plants are withering. The color range of its leaves ranges from white to yellow to red and purple. The decorative cabbage brings a lot of freshness and a cheerful sea of colors to your garden in the winter months! It is a great eye-catcher in any garden landscape!
Check the seeds in winter storage
In January you need to check the condition of the seeds saved for the ornamental garden. This is especially important now. In winter storage you probably have tubers of dahlias, begonias, gladioli and many other beautiful garden flowers. It is desirable that the temperature in the warehouse be about 6-8 degrees and the humidity should be 75-80%. Once a month you also need to check the condition of the seedlings. If tubers and rhizomes look normal under these conditions and show no visible signs of disease, it means they are well preserved. If tubers and seedlings look faded, get moist sand or sawdust for them. If mold or signs of other diseases appear, you must immediately dust them with fungicide. If spots appear on the gladioli tubers, remove the affected ones, try to cure them with fungicide.
One last tip from us:
On the long winter evenings you certainly have enough time to think through your garden planning for the coming spring. Do not delay the delivery of seeds of selected flower varieties as it sometimes takes some time. Don't leave everything for the last minute!
