Author : Barbara Kam Screen Reader : Supported Works with : Source : Status : Available | Last checked: 3 Hour ago! Size : 29,235 KB |
In The Prairie Winterscape: Creative Gardening for the Forgotten Season experienced gardeners Barbara Kam and Nora Bryan show how to claim winter as a gardening season by exploring the different and surprising ways to create natural beauty during the "no-grow" time of year. Many prairie gardeners are unaware that their gardens can be winter wonderlands with as much visual appeal as the glorious summer landscapes they are accustomed to.
For most, the first hard frosts are a sign to put the garden to bed until spring, which in some places and some years can be as many as 260 days away. That's a long time for an avid gardener to be "on hold," yearning to work the soil and smell the roses.
But it needn't be so.
By selecting trees and shrubs with dramatic silhouettes and colorful berries and bark, creating ornamental focal points that are enhanced by delicate rims of frost or a light blanket of snow, and leaving flower borders filled during the winter months with a collection of sturdy plants and grasses boasting interesting seed heads, prairie gardeners can redefine their favorite pastime to include the "forgotten season." It's an idea whose time has come.
1. The frost-free period is only 105 to 160 out of 365 days on the northern prairies, depending on location. That means the majority of the year is not part of the traditional gardening season. It's a long season, but it doesn't have to be bleak.
2. To our knowledge, this is the only book specific to our region that amalgamates information on fall clean-up, winter care, and winter aesthetics in a single reference. Other winter garden books exist, but they are directed to warmer climes where plants actually bloom and grow during their so-called winter.
3. The prairie winter garden has been largely ignored due to a dearth of information on the subject. There is a prevailing sentiment that it is "too cold", so you "can't garden" here. This book defines winter gardening based on prairie conditions as one of "set up", staging, and a bit of management. It gives practical ideas to create beauty for when it is too cold to actually be outside.
4. Most of winter is spent inside looking out. Without forethought, there is limited plant evidence to differentiate an award-winning border from the neighbor's dog-run.. This book focuses on creating beautiful vignettes where they can be admired from the warmth of indoors.
5. We appreciate the drama of black and white photographs as a distinct art form from color pictures. So too can can gardeners admire the elegant palette of winter as distinct from summer's Technicolor(tm)
6. Winterscaping works, even for the somewhat lazy or burnt-out summer gardener. It is about setting scenes. After initial planning and set-up, there is little actual yard work beyond shoveling snow.
7. Many birds have now made their homes in urban environments. Winter can be hard on them without adequate shelter, food, and water. You can learn how to invite birds into your garden in winter with proper plant selection.
8. This book challenges the notion of the traditional fall clean-up and presents an alternative. Many plants can be left to add vertical elements to the garden.
9. An existing garden lacking winter-attractive plants can still look good without massive replanting. This book contains projects and crafts for winter containers and lighting help make any garden look great.
10. This book includes informative lists of questions to ask to create a great winter garden, trees with interesting and colorful bark, colorful needles, seedheads that withstand much of winter's vagaries, how to winterize a pond, plants for winter containers, and even food and feeders to attract different birds.
Barbara Kam is a Fifth House Books author.