Winter Assessments as Snow Recedes

If a warming trend is in your future, plan to do a walk-about around the sunny garden as the snow begins to melt; to make assessments, scope out future planting areas, and gauge your shade. New garden spaces or spaces-to-be will be top priority, as you'll want to see how much snow gathers exactly where, and gauge its depth. The deepest areas might be considered the safest places for zone-pushing plants or simply those that require plenty of moisture throughout the course of the year. These same areas can then be crossed off the list of places to plant perennial species that dislike winter wet and excess moisture.

Year-round heavy shade areas can be assessed now as well. Tree trunks and limbs can actually have quite a bit to do with the amount of shade an area is dealt, as well as the shade thrown from buildings, fences, shrubs, hillocks, and garden hardscaping. Shadow lines can be visually measured for time of duration and a reducible estimate of their depth now, due to the steadily climbing arc of the early spring sun.

Areas of ground that appear first would be likely candidates for plants that require the most sun throughout the growing season. Drought-tolerant, exceptionally hardy perennials, or fast-growing annual plants would be good choices for these areas, as the ground there will generally have less retained moisture as the season progresses.

Which assessments do you make as winter recedes? You can use the posting areas at the end of this Idea to share your favorites.

• Rose (Rosa 'Pink Grootendorst')
• Uploaded by TBGDN