Fresh garden produce unquestionably tastes better and is higher in vitamins than grocery store produce. This is especially true during the winter, because store-bought produce is mostly grown far away in warmer climates. The selection becomes more limited and the prices higher during the winter months, and sometimes shopping for produce during the doldrums of winter can be down-right depressing.

If you’ve never grown vegetables during the winter, now is the perfect time to start. The Mediterranean climate of our area is perfect for year-round vegetable gardening, and by using a few special techniques and the correct selection of crops, one can easily have year-round harvests at home. Cool weather crops are hardy and many will survive temperatures below freezing, others down to 30 degrees.

Winter vegetable gardening is easy, especially compared to the summer vegetable garden. There are fewer insects. There will be little watering, and less weeding. You can let the weather do the work for you this winter instead of fighting the arid heat. Give your winter vegetables extra space when you plant them so the air circulation can help prevent rot. You don’t need to fertilize the winter garden - in fact it is better not to. High levels of nitrogen will bring on a new flush of growth, which will be more susceptible to frost. Fertilize in the spring to replace depleted nitrogen.

Location is key to a successful winter garden. Choose a warm location, one that does not frost early. Frost pockets form in low-lying areas, so locate your vegetable garden in the highest point in your yard. You will want good drainage for the rain water. Amend your soil with gypsum or Soil Buster to help with poor drainage.

A blanket of mulch will keep the ground insulated, and even out swings in soil temperature. Mulch prevents soil from compression of winter rains. It will also help keep the mud off the plants and reduce winter weeds. Mulch, such as Mirana Natural Cocoa Mulch, is easy to spread, light to handle and environmentally friendly. Master Nursery offers a Forest Bark and Shredded Red Cedar Bark mulch as well.

Easy access to your garden is important, as winters are muddy. Use a layer of straw to line the paths between your plants. Not only does the straw provide a non-muddy walkway, but also helps with weed prevention. In spring, you can simply cultivate the straw in with your soil, to be ready for another growing season.

Winter favorites include cole crops such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi and brussels sprouts. These can be started by seed in August or purchased as seedlings in a nursery throughout the fall/winter season. These crops need cool weather for their heads to form.

Spinach is best grown in cool weather, as it bolts in the heat. Spinach will re-grow as you cut it, but if you want to harvest it all winter make several sowings throughout the season. There are many varieties of lettuce which thrive in cool weather. Red leaf lettuce is especially beautiful, with crinkly leaves and splashes of red. At our nurseries, the six-packs of assorted lettuce varieties are especially popular. There are other delicious greens for your salad, such as mesclun mixes and arugula, which add unusual flavors, textures and colors.

Here at Wyntour Gardens we carry a wide variety of cool-crop vegetable and herb seedlings and specialized tomatoes that will set fruit at lower temperatures, to help make winter gardening even more exciting. Choose varieties that are adaptive to chilly temperatures and shorter daylight hours such as the tomato variety, Siberia. If you start from seed, plant between July and September. Seedlings should be planted as soon as they become available.

Other great and hardy winter green include kale and Swiss Chard. Beets and turnips will overwinter, plus provide greens for steaming. Successive plantings of carrots are highly recommended. And don’t forget the onions, garlic, and peas.

If space is limited, try a “Completely Edible Salad Bowl”. Choose a container with a fairly wide top (it doesn’t need to be very deep), and plant your favorite varieties of lettuce, chives, parsley, peas, and Swiss Chard. Be sure to include some edible flowers like calendula, nasturtiums, and pansies. Keep in a convenient, sunny location near the kitchen door is best, and you can harvest fresh salad for many months.

With so many great vegetables to choose from, there’s no reason not to grow winter vegetables. And when the artichokes, asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries and potatoes arrive at your Garden Center, it’s a sign that spring is not too far behind.

* Published scientific studies are showing that flowers have an immediate impact on happiness and a long-term positive effect on our moods, helping us with depression, anxiety and agitation.

* Senior citizens who receive a gift of flowers not only feel less depressed, but score higher on memory tests.

* The presence of flowers leads to more contact with family and friends.

* Studies of inner cities have shown that residents with trees and green spaces in common areas socialize more often and feel a strong sense of community.

* Employees that have a view of nature from their desk are more satisfied and healthy than their windowless counterparts, who had a 23 % higher rate of feeling ill.

* Workers with flowers and plants in their workspace have improved creative and problem solving skills, up to 15%.

Here are some good reasons to expose children to gardening:

* Research has shown that contact with green, natural settings relieves symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder.

* Inner city girls with a view of nature from their home score higher on tests of self-discipline.

* Outdoor green spaces foster creative play and child-adult interaction.

* Children reap the same benefits as adults from flowers and plants: reduced stress and lowered aggression.

Here at Wyntour Gardens we offer a variety of ways to help you give the gift of emotional health. Our Colorful Container Gardens, Completely Edible Salad Bowls and our serene Bonsai are gorgeous plants for home and gift giving. Or, make some time for your own happiness by taking advantage of our easy new gift card. If you have the wintertime blues sign up for one of our fun and informative hands-on workshops. Check our Events Calendar for listings of upcoming classes.

To learn more about these studies check out these links.

The Emotional Impact of Flowers, Jeanette Haviland-Jones, Rutgers University
http://human-nature.com/ep/articles/ep03104132.html

The Human Environment Research Laboratory
www.herl.uiuc.edu

Kathleen Wolf’s research on human dimensions of urban forestry.
http://www.cfr.washington.edu/research.envmind/

www.plantsatwork.org

Early fall and spring are a time of recovery for our worm ravaged neighborhoods. Lawns damaged by insects may have to be renovated or completely re-sown, to correct the problem. If you have a few patches of dead lawn, renovation will probably be enough. Here are the steps to take to

Do not use a pre-emergent prior to sowing your seeds, as this will adversely affect the germination of new lawn seed. Systemic weed killers with Glyphosate such as Monterey brand Remuda can be used up to seven days before planting.

* If you have not de-thatched the problem areas of your lawn, do it now. Water and pesticides have a hard time penetrating the thatch layer and thus, pests find protection. Aeration will remove a thin or medium thatch layer. It may take a thatching rake or vertical mower to remove thicker thatches.

* Once the thatch is removed, mow the turf to about ¾ of an inch high.

* Remove sod over any high or low spots so your lawn is level.

* If your turf is patchy and thin after raking, over-seed the lawn at half the recommended rate for establishment. Prepare bare spots by turning the soil, leaving a loose one inch layer for the new roots to take hold. Remember to keep seed bed consistently moist to ensure germination. Spread seed evenly. Scotts Easy Hand-Held Spreader is inexpensive and easy to use. Your lawn will grow from remaining stems and crowns in addition to the new grass seed. If your lawn has more than a few brown patches and has not recovered, you may need to completely re-seed it.

* Decide which kind of lawn is best for your area conditions. Here at Wyntour Gardens we have four types of bulk lawn seed. Annual Rye is a tough lawn that will take traffic and stay hardy, though it does go dormant and turn brown in the winter. California Green is very hardy; it is the Old Shasta mix that the feed stores used to sell. Royal Turf has softer, finer, blades but it won’t hold up to kids and dogs. Sun and Shade is sturdier and will take some shade.

* Preparation is the key for starting a successful lawn. Don’t just scrape the ground, break up the compacted soil. If it is a large area use a tiller. Rototillers can be rented from your local rental center. Now is a great time to add gypsum, such as Soilbuster, which will help break up clay, provide primary nutrients and improve soil drainage. Spread Master Nursery brand, Master Start Fertilizer, then till again, mixing the amendments into the soil.

* Rake the soil to begin to level it out, removing any rocks and debris that you find. To avoid problems with excess water-runoff, make sure that any grading you do allows water to flow away from your house.

* Finish leveling the soil by using a roller filled with water. Like tillers, rollers can be rented from a local rental center. Here at our nursery, we loan out seeding rollers and water filled rollers to our customers. Water the soil lightly after leveling.

* Following the recommended seeding rate, spread 1/4 of the seed over the entire lawn area. Then repeat times, each time using 1/4 of the seed. However, each of the 4 times you distribute a load of seed, push the spreader in a different direction, to encourage even dispersal.

* Rake lightly, so as to cover the seed with a thin layer of soil. Master Nursery brand Paydirt, a multi-purpose soil conditioner, makes a great top dressing, as it is heavy enough to keep the seed from blowing away.

* The seeds must be watered properly, in order to germinate. Use just a fine spray, as you don't want to create a flood! The soil should be kept evenly moist, which means you must water several times per day (depending on the weather). After the grass blades sprout, you'll still need to water a couple of times per day. If you know your schedule won't permit this, now is the time to look into automatic irrigation systems before starting a new lawn.

Remember as you maintain your lawn that pesticides kill both destructive and beneficial bugs. We need the beneficial bugs to pollinate, prey on destructive insects, and keep a general balance to our gardens. Keep your lawn healthy, encourage a balanced eco-system, and use pesticides only when necessary. As always, if you have any questions about you lawn our knowledgeable staff will be happy to help. Call us at 530-365-2256.