BLESSINGS IN BLOOM: Why Winter is Good for the Garden

By Kerry Peetz

PHOTO: A bird is pictured on a snow-covered birdbath in winter. (Photo by Kerry Peetz) 

Brrrrrr! Winter is here. The beautiful snow, the crisp cold air, the green of the pines and God’s vivid blue sky. We are blessed to have all four seasons in our diocese and yet all agree that at times our seasons can seem to be a bit mixed up with their topsy-turvy-temps!  The season of winter has a purpose in our gardens. It brings a time for rest, rejuvenation and the cold can bring death to diseases and some of those pesky garden pests.

In Colorado many of our native plants are adapted to the cold temperatures. Many of our native wildflowers produce seeds that must go through a period of freezing temperatures to germinate in the spring.  This period is called “cold stratification” and the process involves exposing seeds to cold temperatures to break down their hard outer shell to allow them to germinate in spring.

The freezing temperatures also give our soils a period of rest. This can help to conserve organic matter and improve soil health. Herbaceous plants that die back to the ground and return their carbon to the soil in the form of dead plant matter, perpetuates a cycle. This organic material immensely helps to improve our starved Colorado soil.

Snow is incredibly useful as an insulator. While it may be 12 degrees Fahrenheit outside, snow’s insulating effects prevent excessively frigid temperatures from reaching deep into the soil which may damage tree and shrub roots. The snow blankets our spring bulbs, strawberries and perennials under a protective layer. Our state is legendary for going from 60 degrees to 20 degrees in the span of a day. These significant fluctuations in temperature can be damaging to most plants but especially wreak havoc on the swelling buds of fruit trees and flowering shrubs. This freeze-thaw effect on our soils making them expand and contract can send the wrong message to plants. The snow helps buffer those swings in temperature.

Snow also helps conserve soil moisture in the winter. We have all experienced the terrible drought conditions and should consider snow a true blessing from God. Snow will melt eventually and provide soil moisture, and also works at holding the existing moisture in place.

Remember the grasshoppers last season? The most important factors in controlling grasshoppers are weather related, particularly around the time the eggs hatch. Cold, wet weather is very destructive to newly hatched grasshoppers. To be fair, a very dry winter and spring can also be harmful to their survival since they require tender new plant growth for food.

Snow can be a design feature in a landscape, highlighting plant shapes, interesting structures, and making red berries or stems pop with color. Ornamental grasses and flower stems adorned with snow can be picture worthy.

There is one garden chore to consider during winter months. This time of year, is great for adding organic matter to vegetable and perennial beds. These materials will decompose during the winter months and help build a richer, healthier soil for spring. Don’t worry about working them into the frozen ground; scattering the matter around on top will work fine for now.

A gardener once wrote, “As much as I hate to admit it, having a break from the garden in wintertime is good for me too. After all, you don’t know what you have until you lose it.” Alas, not all is lost with winter for those who have faith. God gives us the promise of spring, the hope of a good crop to follow, the rainwater to nourish our soil and his Son to wash away our sins. Consider every snowfall and each tiny snowflake blessings from our dear Lord above.