Do you have gardening questions this winter?
If your thoughts have turned to gardening during this winter season, join the club. While we haven’t had a lot of snow as of yet, the urge to get up and get outside to begin gardening in the upcoming spring season is affecting many of us.
As a part-time sales associate at a local farm and greenhouse, I get lots of questions on various plant subjects. While the names of those posing the following questions are obviously fictitious, the questions are real. Maybe you have the same questions. If you have additional questions, you can always email the local Penn State Master Gardener Hotline at [email protected] to communicate with a real person and get reliable, research-based answers. It always helps to include photos with your inquiry to provide the staff with as much information as possible. Now, on with today’s questions.
Dear Doug – I take great pride in keeping my yard and garden in good condition year-round. As I look out of my kitchen window, my neighbor, who purports to be a pollinator plant lover, has a winter garden that I can only classify as messy. He didn’t bother to cut back any of his dying plants, so his messy garden really detracts from the overall look of his yard (and my view). I love pollinators too, but really! Signed, Tidy.
Dear Tidy – While your neighbor’s garden may appear messy, he is really doing the right thing for pollinators! (My pollinator-friendly garden looks just like his.) Pollinators need plants year-round, and during the late fall and winter, the fading plants provide safe places for pollinators to overwinter. Some of the pollinators that benefit from his messy garden include butterflies, moths, bees, flies and beetles. By not cutting back his garden, he is doing Mother Nature a favor by delaying his garden cleanup until spring. He is providing these pollinators with a restful place to overwinter so that they are ready to emerge in the spring ready to do their pollinating jobs again.
Hey Doug – My goal is to plant a new garden that benefits pollinators in the spring. My problem is that I don’t really know where to start. I know pollinators need nectar and pollen throughout the growing season, but how can I ensure I get off to a good start? Signed, Inquiring Minds Want to Know.
Dear Inquiring – You have a great goal, especially given that three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and one-third of our food supplies depend upon pollination. A good starting point is Pollinator Garden Certification — Department of Entomology (psu.edu). On this website, you will find references that provide great examples of native plants that benefit pollinators throughout all three portions of the growing season, as well as suggestions for providing water, shelter and methods to safeguard pollinator habitat. If you choose, this website can also provide guidance for steps to take to have your new pollinator-friendly garden certified through Penn State Master Gardeners. Good luck!
Dear Doug – While I love wildlife and manage my yard and garden to encourage wildlife, I really don’t like the deer eating some of my prized shrubs. Most of my shrubs are classified as “deer-resistant,” but I find in mid to late winter, especially during snowy periods, the deer resort to eating some of my holly bushes that they never seem to touch otherwise. Any suggestions? Signed, Eating My Heart Out.
Dear Eating – My yard is certified as a Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Foundation, but that doesn’t mean I want deer munching my plants. Since you realize that “deer-resistant” doesn’t mean “deer-proof,” especially during a snowy winter, I feel your pain. I doubt that you wish to fence off your hollies and other shrubs in unsightly cages. I suggest using a deer-repellent spray. There are various commercial products on the market that can be effective ― make sure you always closely follow the instructions on the label. These products often use natural products that are offensive to deer but are harmless if applied correctly. For more information on gardening with deer, you can refer to Gardening with Deer (psu.edu).
Dear Doug – Last year, my know-it-all neighbor told me that my Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) was classified as an invasive plant in Pennsylvania and that I should replace mine. Being a concerned conservationist, I removed mine and now have a bunch of space I need to fill this spring. Lo and behold, I noticed he planted several Japanese Barberry bushes in his yard last fall! What nerve! I loved my Barberry shrubs and now I’m aggravated. He told me his new barberries are the “WorryFree” cultivar, so I have nothing to worry about regarding invasives spreading into my yard or the environment. What’s the deal? Signed, Aggravated (again).
Dear Aggravated – Your neighbor is correct. The WorryFree Series of Japanese Barberry shrubs, produced by a grower in North Carolina, is an approved exempted cultivar as determined by the PA Department of Agriculture. These cultivars are sterile, infertile and seedless, thus eliminating their invasive qualities. The good news is that you can now fill your vacant space with the Japanese barberry shrubs that you love!
Well, readers, that’s it for now. The technical data for this article came from the Penn State Master Gardener Manual, Penn State Extension fact sheets, and the PA Department of Agriculture website (Japanese Barberry information). Don’t forget that reliable answers to most gardening questions can be obtained by emailing the Master Gardener Hotline of Beaver County at [email protected]. Buy a new pair of gardening gloves ― spring is coming!
Doug Canan is a Penn State Extension Master Gardener in Beaver County.