gardening Archives - Sprinkles of Sand

8 Steps to Prepare your Garden for Fall & Winter

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Now that Summer is coming to a close, it is time to start thinking about Fall and Winter. The steps you take in the upcoming weeks will help boost your garden in the Spring. Here are a few simple steps to help get your garden ready.

1. Clean Area & Rake Leaves
Gather any fallen branches, debris, and leaves. Use collected leaves as mulch for the perennials or compost them through the Winter. This is a great time to build that compost for Spring.

2. Bring in Plants
If you had any plants that you placed outside during the Summer months, now is the time to return them to the greenhouse or inside for protection from the cold.

3. Prepare Greenhouse or Build Hoop House
To help extend your gardening into the Fall and Winter, prepare and organize your greenhouse, build a simple hoop house(s) or prepare to use row covers. Preparation is the key!

4. Prune
This is the time to prune and prepare your plants for Spring. Remove dead or damaged limbs, branches or stalks from your plants, shrubs and trees.

5. Plant a Cover Crop
If you are not planning of maintaining a Winter garden, consider planting a cover crop to build up your soil nutrients.

6. Plant Spring Bulbs
If you want to enjoy some of Springs beautiful bulb flowers (crocus, daffodils, Hyacinths, etc.), you need to plan and plant them in the ground around the first frost. Come Spring, you will be happy you did!

7. Plant new Trees and Shrubs
Fall is the perfect time to plant new trees and shrubs. They will settle and establish roots during the Winter. This is also the time of year to fertilize existing trees and shrubs by providing the nutrients over the Winter.

8. Clean and Organize
Before you put your tools away for the season, give them a good cleaning and do any needed repairs. This is also a great time to organize your tools to ensure quick and easy access in the Spring. Think about what you would like your garden to consist of in the new year and start planning!

Come Spring, you will be happy you did!

Do you have any garden prep tips that have been useful to you?

Theresa

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Growing Lavender

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In my opinion, Lavender is the most beautiful herb there is, in appearance as well as scent. As with all my herbs, I grow them in pots in my greenhouse. However, it can also be grown as a hedge or a bush. It has silvery green leaves with purple flowers. The fragrance is amazing!

Soil – Lavender likes sandy, well-drained soil. If you test your soil, then it may help to know that Lavender prefers a slightly alkaline soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.3.

Fertilizer – When planting, I use Miracle Gro potting soil with 6 months of fertilizer included. I have not had to use any additional fertilizer.

Water – Do not over water this herb. Allow the soil to dry in between watering.

Sun – This plant requires full sun and good air flow.

Planting – If you are going to plant it directly into the ground to have as a bush or hedge, make sure to leave plenty of room in-between plants for growth and good air circulation. Generally, they should be planted 5 – 6 feet apart.

Trim it frequently to allow for new growth and to increase the air flow. When I trim it back, I hang my lavender upside down in bundles tied at one end with twine to dry. Once dry, I store the dried leaves and flowers together in glass jars. Aromatherapy is my primary use for it. It is wonderful in sachets.

This is a must have for my herb garden.

Jen

Growing Lemongrass

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Lemon Grass has turned out to be an herb that I really like. Truthfully, I wasn’t very interested in it in the beginning but have grown to love it. It is a pretty grass that grows from three to five feet tall. I have grown it in pots and in a raised bed as pictured above. It is a very low maintenance herb.

It prefers a rich, well-drained soil. Mixing a little sand with the soil really helps. This grass likes full sun. It does best when the soil is kept moist. I use Miracle Gro plant fertilizer on it once a month. Because I live in the Northeastern United States, I have to replant every year. It’s too cold to make it through the winter, even in the greenhouse.

Not only is it pretty and aromatic, it is useful. Plant it around sitting areas outside to add a fresh scent and repel mosquitoes. You can also dry it and make tea out of it.

I cut the leaves at the end of the season, tie them at one end with twine and hang them to dry. Once they are dry, I cut it into small pieces and primarily use it for tea. Glass jars are what I store my dried herbs in. I think they preserve the flavor best.

I fill a Stainless Steel Tea Infuser with the dried herbs and let it steep in a cup of boiling water. It has a really strong lemony taste and it’s delicious. Below is a picture of what it looks like dried. You can cut the pieces any size you want.