Karen's Corner: Planting for color in the winter & more tips

You can have color in the winter!

The bright red bloom shown above is one of my container plants which blooms most profusely during the Winter. It is a Camellia, and one of 3 varieties I have planted in containers on the deck. Shortly after this picture was taken, our region had a cold snap (12ºF), the plant turned black, and I thought it had died. What a surprise when I found it thriving this summer in a pot I had planned to dump!

To consider a colorful palette of plants in the Winter, gardeners must first know the gardening hardiness zone in which they live, which are based on temperature tolerances. It is entirely possible to have blooming plants during the colder months. In the U.S., lower zone numbers are in the Midwest to Northern states. Fortunately, we live in USDA Hardiness Gardening Zone 8, so we can choose from a variety of winter-flowering plants. As of now on my deck, I have containers of Daphne, a Paperbush (Edgeworthia) and 3 varieties of Camellias (already showing buds). This link provides a list of winter-flowering plants with their favorable USDA zones: https://www.gardendesign.com/flowers/winter.html

Remember:  Plan a garden that works for you, considering space, time, and your physical abilities. A single pot/container on a balcony is just as lovely in the Winter as many plants in a large space. “You do you.”

Image: Newly potted Camellias already in bud in pots on a porch may grow 4-6’ tall

More tips for gardening with a disability

As I have expressed in previous blogs, anyone can garden. Gardening has evolved to include different forms, such as Balcony, Raised Bed, and Container Gardening. As my condition (Type 3 Ataxia) has progressed, my gardening has evolved from in-ground to container (mostly flowers because the squirrels and chipmunks here mercilessly devour vegetables), but I hasten to add that Container Gardening is equally rewarding and I do not lament not being able to garden in-ground any longer. Also previously shared in a video blog were some of the tips I use to keep gardening productive, fun, and safe.

These tips included: using a 4-5” outdoor cushion in your chair,  a simple aluminum frame walker with a tray to transport gardening essentials, long “prick-proof” rose gloves, longer handle tools, and a lightweight collapsible watering can among other things.

While working on the deck today, it occurred to me that I should add a few more tips with you. All links are just my suggestions.

1. Use a waterproof apron with pockets, as well as lined latex gloves for working with water or mud. This photo is of my gray apron with large bright flowers on it.
   
2. Wear Croc-style Garden ‘clogs’. I wear Sketchers brand, as they have arch support and are foam-lined, but there many other budget friendly options at other retailers. Here are the ones that I wear; they are white with a bold and colorful print of flowers and butterflies on them.
   
3. Attach furniture glides (the small stick-on kind for chair legs) to the bottom of large containers to make them easier to move. In the photo below, a large blue flower pot is flipped upside down showing the four gray gliders that have been attached, along with a baggie of more for other pots.
   
4. Punch holes around the bottom of empty pop/soda bottles to use for plant irrigation (crucial in the summer–allows you to get water directly to roots). In the image below, the green soda bottle has been inserted down in the dirt, leaving only the mouth of the bottle exposed at the top for a person to pour water in. The holes in the bottle will allow this to act as an irrigation tool.
   
5. Important: Find your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone! With that you can research which plants thrive in your region (e.g., which flowering plants grow in Region 8A during the Winter?)
6. Keep your cell phone handy. Carry it in a lanyard around your neck. (There are waterproof phone lanyards available). 
7. Keep a trash bag and recycling bin handy
8. If repotting, you will spill soil. Have a lightweight leaf blower nearby (see my Day Undefined review of this lightweight air broom) 
9. Store unused potting soil in an airtight container with wheels; I use this dog food bin (25lb capacity). Ask your helper to pour the remaining soil in the bin or move it scoop by scoop yourself.

More Tips:  Always keep your safety in mind. Work from a seated position only, if that applies to you. Identify a helper for heavy or awkward lifting, before you start. Plan ahead. 

Surprise Accessible Alternative!  If you want to try Raised Bed gardening, but the large Raised Bed is not in your budget, try straw bale gardening on a deck, patio or in the yard.  Read about it here:  https://www.thespruce.com/straw-bale-gardening-848248

Happy Gardening! 

Karen

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Karen is a regular reviewer and blogger for Day Undefined. In her series, "Karen's Corner," she invites you to join in her love of gardening and other hobbies and shares her tips for making them more accessible.