Seasonal Gardening Guide

Seasons come and seasons go
As for winter, this I know
The fresh white snow gives reason to
Explore outside with wonder anew
Time to curl up in our chair
Under a favourite blanket and stare
At seed catalogues, at garden magazines
Time to look and time to dream

~Anonymous

Winter is here, and while we many of us may venture outside and explore the snowy landscape, gardeners also tend to take the time in a cozy armchair and plan next year’s garden. If you fancy watching the remaining winter birds feed in your garden or participating in a Christmas bird count in your area, you’ll want to read Cliff Bennett’s article on the basics of bird watching.

Those of you who have a shady little corner in your gardens should check out this season’s plant article, the Christmas fern. This delightful plant also graces the gardens here at the Canadian Wildlife Federation.

Get ideas for your garden by reading about Lorena Baker’s journey of transforming her Saskatchewan garden into an oasis that both nurtures her spirit and supports her wild neighbours.

And while we don’t have a typical garden creature featured this season, we do have a Canadian animal that feels the impact of our daily activities – including our gardening habits. Discover the wonders of the blue whale and how we, through mindful gardening, can help it survive and thrive.

Our nursery this season is Acorus Restoration in southern Ontario. The owners, like many native plant enthusiasts, take great pride in growing and selling plants native to their area, knowing they are doing their part to help maintain the diversity and well being of the ecosystems in their region.

And for those of you who enjoy wallpapers, we offer two this season – an Aster and a Rudbeckia – both taken on a frosty morning as the sun was rising. When left to go to seed, they naturally provide food for birds during the fall and winter months.

Enjoy,

Winter 2008 - Make tracks this season

In this glade covered with bushes of a year’s growth, see how the silvery dust lies on every seared leaf and twig, deposited in such infinite and luxurious forms as by their very variety atone for the absence of color. Observe the tiny tracks of mice around every stem, and the triangular tracks of the rabbit.
“A Winter Walk”, Henry David Thoreau

Snow has already come to much of Canada. Winter can seem a curse those frigid mornings sweeping and scraping snow and ice off the car before heading to work or stamping your feet to keep warm while waiting at the bus stop. But there are those days, on weekends or holidays, when waking to the glory of a sun-filled winter day holds the promise of invigorating outdoor activity in the form of skiing, snowshoeing, skating or even a brisk walk. The best way to endure the hardships of a Canadian winter is to revel in the glory it brings as often as possible. Even a lazy day spent by a warm fire feels luxurious in winter.

One of the great things about winter is you get to discover the presence of those wildlife species you rarely get to see. The snow allows us to monitor the movement of wildlife that we might otherwise not know were about. Check your property for tracks in the snow to see what creatures call your property home. One of those animals might just be the ermine, our feature creature of the season.

It is in winter that you get to appreciate those plants that provide a bit of colour through the seasons. Winterberry, our feature plant, holds its bright red berries through the winter, adding colour to your garden and a much needed source of sustenance for birds and other wildlife in this harshest of seasons.

For those days when you really don’t feel like venturing out into the cold, spend some time dreaming and scheming about your perfect garden. Our backyard habitat article this season will help you in this regard by providing some advice on choosing perennials for the spring to come.

Enjoy our winter articles, 
Maria