Winter In The Wildlife Garden

Fact: I have medical conditions that are seriously aggravated by the cold and snow. So, what I mean by Winter in the Wildlife Garden might better be called, Winter: Indoors, Thinking About My Native Garden.   What is it I set out to do ?  Mostly, reading and planning.  But not just any old reading.  I try to fit in as many gardening books as I can during the fallow season. And then there are the Wildflower Catalogs to peruse.

My reading eyes have been bigger than my energy this Winter though.  I have a great deal of material to plow through and am hoping to ramp up my concentration. (Had a mild flu, despite the shot; in addition to chronic troubles.)

Also, we seem to be in a very snowy cycle here on the North Shore.  I have spent far too many days digging out the entrance to our short driveway.  I may measure 10 inches in the yard. But somehow, there is always a 17 inch mountain at the end of the drive.    I am thinking about putting in a flag with a sign, indicating where it begins.  Because not only are there 17 inches vertically; it extends four to five feet into the road.

And with low temperatures, what very little melts; re-freezes and a new attack is required.  (Though I am not a fan of what Rock Salt does; I can see how beneficial it could be when the Iceman cometh. Alas, we are all out.)

One benefit to all this outdoor cardio though is I have to stop, and instead of looking at the endless street tundra, I turn and  look at the front gardens.  The snow and ice define the height and breadth of what is planted where.  I can see, clearly, the bare bones of the beds. It gives me new insights on what needs to go or be pruned. I make mental notes for early Spring tasks.  I could also play with hardscaping ideas by building snow samples (hardscaping to me is those things in the garden that are not plants; ie: rocks, bird baths, concrete and other not-growing things) The true definition of the word being: part of the a building’s grounds consisting of structures, such as patios, retaining walls, and walkways, made with hard materials.  Why quibble?  If it is hardish and not a plant, to me, it is a hardscaping detail.  I don’t engage in this snow sculpting, but you could.

If I was really an outdoorsy type, I could experiment with color schemes; something I would be more likely to do in the backyard.  Which is also clearly, starkly, icily defined at the moment.  Mostly there is pruning in the back ahead for me.  But were I to consider changing colors of plants up, a little dab of acrylic paint here and there could be inspiring.  But primarily, I dig a tunnel for the dog, and take in the blinding vista back there.  The idea of change when I get that winded is overwhelming. As is the idea of reading, lately. 

But, I will get out the graph paper and sketch those things that are not going to move in my lifetime in the back.  I could also use a level on the rise to the back fence; to truly get the angle of incline of the little hill. The one that funnels water towards the foundation and basement.  There is just enough for a perfect storm of drownage below.  Clay soil gets saturated, and the water goes somewhere.  (Especially because what was formerly two acres of open space is now, three large homes, three inground pools, and lots of macadam). Perhaps when I get the angles right, I will come up with some sort of a berm system.  Again, not soon. 

So, picture me, sketching what is there.  I will fill in the measurement details  later on. This is the very first step in garden planning, taking inventory of the land.  Snow just makes it easier. 

I also could be using colored yarn to indicate which trees must be pruned; which ones have to go.  Etc.  But that might involve getting in snow up to my knees.  They hurt enough already, so melt please.

The other high point of all this Winter action may be that our drought could be ending, and it could actually spell good things for Spring.  Enough water to give things a good start underground.  I will be checking the Farmer’s Almanac for Spring weather predictions. And the drought sites for whether Mother Nature made up for what we lost over that dry summer.

I am not a seed-starter savvy person.  I know my limitations, so when the catalogs start rolling in, I go straight to the live plant section.  I have actually ordered many of my perennials for the Spring.  I rely on the Nurseries to ship them at the most productive time for growing.  I doubt I will ever have the patience and dexterity to start seeds indoors.  It is just not my calling. 

So, drawing, sketching, planning, dreaming, color experimenting.... and reading.  Lot’s of reading to get to.  I have a bunch of Brooklyn Botanic Garden books to go through, on specific topics.  Shamefully, I have not had the concentration to start with “The Climate Conscious Gardener” yet, but I will. 

I did get a copy of “Gardening For The Birds” by George Adams for the holidays.  Also new to my collection last Fall, when I anticipated a native garden reading marathon is: “Designing Gardens and Flora of the American East” by Carolyn Summers.  Other notable books waiting for my immersion are:  “Why We Garden, Cultivating a Sense of Place” by Jim Nollman.  (Actually, I started this last Winter, but it fell off the priority list when it got warmer).  Then there is “Cultivating Delight: A Natural History of My Garden” by Diane Ackerman, recently acquired via swap. I actually started this one the other night.  I only plowed through her vivid and beautiful essays on Winter.  They led me to look up the late English garden writer: Gertrude Jekyll.  I found a book of her’s for free, and am trying to draw inspiration from that as well.  Here is a website dedicated to Ms Jekyll:http://www.gertrudejekyll.co.uk/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=55&Itemid=143 .  I am especially inspired by her love of the Arts and Crafts movement.  Search the Kindle section of Amazon with her name to find the free book I mentioned. 

I have even gotten backed up on my gardening blogs, having added a few.  And because I could, I did try and play with a few mobile Apps.  Basically, I just have Gardening ADD this Winter, and I want it to end.

Most of the books I mention above are not really for the beginner.  I have a whole other blog planned on the Essential Library for the Native Gardener.  It will happen.  At some point.  Though, you could simply start with two books, now available on via the Kindle store.  

Note on Kindle, I do not have stock in Amazon.  I am however an avid fiction (apparantly) reader and so I do a lot of downloading of books.  This is satisfying in some ways because physical books need storage.  But not so in others because, for me, the very best way to study something is to make notations in a book.   Still, Anyone online can read a Kindle book.  Amazon kindly offers apps and downloads for just about any type of Android, PC, or Mac product.  You do not need to Buy a Kindle to read a Kindle book.  Sometimes you can even borrow a book from your library, but you will have to figure that out on your own..... 

Currently,  “Bringing Nature Home” by Doug Tallamy is on sale at the Kindle Store for $3.49.  This book gets to the root of why we must garden for nature and is first on my list of essential reads.  Get it now and read it, so much will fall into place: http://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Nature-Home-Sustain-Wildlife-ebook/dp/B003UV8ZTE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391630496&sr=8-1&keywords=Douglas+Tallamy

Another book I recently got through Kindle has an extensive listing of state Native Plant plant sites; Books; Native Plant Nurseries and also expands into Native Plant groups in other countries, which is quite nice.  I have friends in the UK who have picked up my passion who will benefit greatly from information in this. The book is “Natural Gardens And Landscapes” by Ed Rykiel, PHD,  and is available here: http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Gardens-Landscapes-Gardening-Landscaping-ebook/dp/B00CVGW5C2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1391631417&sr=1-1&keywords=native+plant+gardening.  

So, onward, outward, back to the Land soon.  In the meantime, Happy Reading and Planning. 

As always, I love to hear your Winter Activities.  Leave a comment and I will reply.  Sometimes later than sooner though.  All this snow, has me so busy and tired. 

PS: We get Wildlife as well, more about that in the future!