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What to do in Tulsa gardens this season.
November
Reseed. Early to mid-November is not too late to reseed a lawn of fescue (the grass that thrives in spring and fall, stays green in the winter but hates summer heat). After seeds sprout, keep seedlings lightly wet until they reach 2 inches, then water less often and more deeply. Neglecting to water spells dead baby grass and a waste of your money. Rake leaves routinely or fescue will smother.
Plant bulbs. November is the best month to dig in spring beauties such as daffodils and tulips. Keep in mind that generous clumps will be more appealing than the one-here-one-there approach. Keep colors simple — one or two hues rather than a random mix.
Have fun. And let your kids join in. Buy a bunch of crocus bulbs (they’re cheap!) and then throw them onto the lawn and under shrubs. Plant these first harbingers of spring where they fall. And remember, nothing looks sillier and more contrived than crocus planted in a row.
Keep it neat. After the first killing frost, tidy up. Pull out cold-zapped annuals and then cut back perennials (dead foliage harbors next season’s bugs and fungi). Save stems with attractive seedpods for goodies for the birds and winter landscape interest, particularly when it is snow dusted. Ornamental grasses are stunners in a winter garden.
December
Backyard florist. Look to your own landscape for holiday decorations. Zero in on holly and nandina with their colorful berries as well as pine boughs, but use your imagination. For wow-power, consider magnolia branches sprayed gold and piled on the fireplace mantle. Ditto for stems of oak-leaf hydrangea with its nicely dried summer blooms.
Water. With holiday preparations and nippy weather, it’s easy to forget to water outdoors, particularly trees and shrubs. Long soakings are best. For shallow-rooted plants or newly planted specimens, this is particularly important before a predicted hard freeze. Dry roots are bad news.
Indoor watch. Keep a careful watch on houseplants and growies brought indoors to winter. An infestation of whitefly (little white, flying, sucking bugs that settle on the underside of leaves and fly about when the plant is brushed) can sap the life out of the host plant and quickly spread to its indoor neighbors. Wash plant leaves, particularly the undersides, or apply an indoor-friendly insecticide. Plants that look too nasty should be tossed.
January
Prune it. January is an ideal time to shape up deciduous trees and shrubs. With plants leafless, it’s easier to see the shape and make adjustments. Hold off pruning evergreen shrubs, such as boxwood, and roses. Pruning encourages tender new growth that can be frost-killed. Wait until mid-March.
Turf Rx. When it’s nippy and frost is on the ground, avoid making regular walking paths (like to the car or the garbage can) on your grass. Cold-challenged grass is delicate and you could find yourself with a permanent, and unwanted, brown path come spring.
Outing. By mid-January, it’s time to ditch holiday plants, particularly poinsettia with depressingly drooping and falling leaves. Ditto for paperwhite narcissus, which are not outdoor hardy and generally can’t be recycled indoors. Out with them!
Order garden catalogs. Or get on the computer to get the latest on what’s up in the garden. Even if you purchase locally, catalogs and Web sites provide a wealth of horticultural information, including the best plant offerings and ideas for creative color combos.
Pansy perk-up. Get these fancy-faced flowers ready for spring by deadheading spent flowers to promote new growth. The added benefit of get-down pruning is a good way to shed holiday calories. Adios, size 12; hello, size 10!
