Winter Clean-up

     Now is the time of year when the Christmas decorations come down & here with EC (East Coast) weather, we brace for the LONG winter. This can be tough on the gardeners among us especially. (That’s often why we turn to birding for respite.) That being said, there are tasks that can be done, but mostly left for Spring at this point.

     The Christmas tree is a great example of how we can improve our outside landscape. Many areas have curbside tree recycling. However, if you do not have a lot of evergreen-type tree cover especially near your feeders, you can simple add the cut tree to your landscape. Lean or tie it to a spot, even laying it down makes for that great hiding spot the birds need. If you roll an errant pinecone in peanut butter & seed (tie the string on first), you can tie to the tree for a great bird treat. They will love it!

     When you get outdoors & survey this time of year, just leave the rest alone. Any leaves that may have strayed after your ‘final’ leaf cleanup (is there ever such a thing?) usually end up in your beds wrapped around shrubs & perennials. It’s perfect just to leave these now for mulch. They will break down over time & are so good for your soil. The perennials that remain have gone to seed & are great sources of food for your birds. The exceptions being: any that you may have spotted some powdery mildew on at the end of the season. These culprits include bee balm, phlox, peonies, zinnias, roses. It’s best to get rid of this yard waste & not in your compost pile if you have one.

     The winter storms are sure to bring snow, sleet & ice (unfortunately) and wind. This is nature’s pruning time. Although, we hate to see that stick & branch pickup work ahead of us, nature is really doing us a favor by pruning for us. Leave what you can for the warmer winter days & you will enjoy the task more. It feels so good to get that bonus warm day that we don’t seem to mind bending over a hundred times!

    Remember, we really aren’t supposed to be doing a lot of yard work this time of year anyway. Walking during the thaw/freeze cycle only compacts the ground. (not good) So get out often, but SIT & enjoy the sunlight. (Have you noticed - the days are getting longer once more – woo hoo!!)