Time to cut back the winter garden
Mid-February, right around Valentine’s Day, marks cut-back time for Texas gardeners. Dormant grasses and perennials are getting their annual haircut as I clear away last season’s growth (which I leave standing through the winter for wildlife habitat and its own quiet beauty) in preparation for the fresh green shoots of spring. I use an electric hedge trimmer, which cuts through grasses and woody stems like butter.
This winter has been mild, and many of my perennials like Turk’s cap were still green. But my pruning mantra is, Be ruthless! Cut them back hard, and they’ll be more compact and beautiful come May. I work my way through the garden in sections, whacking and raking and filling yard waste bins and bags by the dozen. Austin composts residential yard waste, turning it into Dillo Dirt. But you can compost clippings yourself if you have the space.
Spring is popping about a month earlier than usual here in Austin. We even had one 91-degree day last week. While watering a plant, I startled an anole out of its hiding place. Bejeweled with water droplets, he clung to the garage wall and stared at me — how dare you? — while I finished up. It makes me happy to see green-skinned anoles in my garden. When we moved here 10 years ago, I never saw an anole, only fierce-looking Texas spiny lizards. But now they’re both my regular garden companions.
Of course Cosmo is my chief garden companion. Who is yours?
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Digging Deeper
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I wish there were lizards in my garden. I haven’t seen the Tx spiny lizard very often. I think the Anoles are charming creatures. I would like to get some clean up done. I did a little cut back on a few hellebores but it got so cold again that it frost bit their buds. I am putting off any more such work. It won’t be long though. Your Cosmos is a cutie. My Annie is my best garden companion.
We’re due for at least 2 sunny days in a row and I’ve been thinking it may be time to cut back the rest of my ornamental grasses. However, the almost complete absence of the lizards that usually greet me every time I walk 3-5 feet, signals it may yet be colder than I’d like out there. The thermometer is reading 53F and it’s already well after noon.
I am at the be ruthless time of year for lavender and pelargoniums. But they’ve got flowers. They have always got some flowers.
I’m doing a class at our local arboretum in mid-March that was unfortunately titled “Spring Gardening Tasks” — a title that I hate. It’s part of an EcoGardening Certificate program so they have obligatory seasonal classes around this topic. I’m all about having fun with gardening — editing and gardening are good terms! “Tasks” –ugh.
I’m going to try to encourage them to do less, actually. Wait to clean up until ground-nesting bees and other invertebrates emerge, etc. Don’t worry too much about pruning — just trim judiciously, etc.
That said, after an early snow in Asheville late last fall, I HAD to clean up my pollinator border/pocket meadow in front of the house. It looked awful. The stems were mindfully stacked below the house, so any cavity-nesting insects would be fine.
A good reminder for me to get ready to do the same! This is the only time of year I look forward to cleaning up!