Eden Keeper

Genesis 2:15
This is a great time to develop a landscape plan; please contact me to schedule an appointment.

Primarily serving northeast Alabama and adjacent areas. 

Personal Mobile:  (256) 605-4236

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 
Genesis 2:15


WINTER
Ice and Snow Season

     Winter officially begins with the winter solstice on December 21, which is the shortest day and longest night in the northern hemisphere, but that does not mean it has the earliest sunset sunrise or the latest sunrise as these occur several days before and after the solstice respectively.  This was an important date for many pagan cultures especially due to the importance of setting planting dates for agriculture as many farmers around here learned the hard way back in 2007 when they had planted corn in mid March rather than mid April and it all got killed by the unusually brutal Easter freeze.  Now much of the part of winter occurring in December is occupied with Christmas, which has supplanted the pagan holidays.
     Here in Alabama landscape work can usually be done even in December, January, and February except when weather becomes a factor, most significantly when it is to cold and everything is frozen, or if the ground is saturated and any digging will result in significant soil compaction, although this may be an advantage for trail building where the soil will be compacted anyway.  Meanwhile an idea alternative activity for a landscape designer would be working on designs that could even be given as gifts whether for Christmas or Valentines although the actual installation may need to be scheduled for later.
     February falls between the peak seasons for hunting fishing and many sports and the holidays are of relatively minor importance thus it is an idea month for several activities including prescribed fires, pruning as appropriate, and planting trees.  The weather is often good for a controlled burn due to periods of clear, cool, stable weather rather than having a fire potentially getting out of control if enhanced by the warmer weather and wind that comes with March.  Many things that need pruned should be done before the sap starts rising.  This includes most shrubs that bloom after May, except hydrangeas, vines especially grapes such as muscadines, and trees except for a few things that bleed such as maples, birches, dogwood, and perhaps hickory, and tulip-poplar where it needs to wait until after the leaves are out and the proteins that act as clots are being formed.  Interestingly these larger trees that may bleed are also tapped for sap to be made into syrup, sugar, etc.  In Alabama Arbor Day it the last full week of February, and it typically varies as appropriate for being one of the best times for plant dormant trees statewide for certain state, but in many states particularly those further north it coincides with the National Arbor Day on the fourth Friday in April.  Some work can be done in gardens such as planting potatoes, onion sets, and other cool season vegetables, but most bigbox garden centers are still focused on Valentines and then Easter.  It is probably to late for planting bulbs and similar perennials that needed to meet a chilling requirement for them to grow, much less bloom this year, so if you do plant any just hold on until next year before giving up on them.  The earliest spring ephemeral wildflowers may begin appearing in February, and this also makes it a great time to begin getting outdoors hiking or backpacking. 
     March winds may arrive like a roaring lion, but the greatest risk may come from tornadoes or the occasional widowmaker (falling limb).  The weather is getting nicer, but in the process it can get wild.  As the daylight approaches an equinox we are thinking spring and there are a lot more things that come to mind to do relative to landscaping and gardening at that time of year. 
 
spring          summer          autumn          winter

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