Renovate the garden during winter

    While the garden is dormant, now is the time to take a look at your landscape. Are there problem areas or places that need a “face-lift”? I am not just talking about old plants that have overshadowed or are choking out others. I am talking about adding a new garden bed in a troubled area of turf that you can never seem to keep healthy or creating a new path or views in the garden.
    Assessing your own landscape can be difficult. Landscapes deal with three different spatial relationships: horizontal, vertical and ceiling — the sky. Within your landscape space, you can create any experience you want. Often connecting the vegetable garden to a small perennial area can create a better use of space and experience. It is in the transition between one area of space and another that can really enhance a garden. Transitional spaces can be created by “doorways” such as a pergola or small archway to walk through or a deck or patio to reroute the journey to the next space.
    Connecting the vegetable garden to the perennial area several feet away with groupings of small shrubs, trees or groundcovers creates the pathway between the two areas. The shrubs, trees or groundcovers create a path to and from both gardens. Using shrubs, trees or groundcover adds some attraction to the landscape.
    What would you renovate? First, any plant material that is dying and decaying. Second, areas that aren’t clearly defined as to the use of that space. A grass or mulched path lined by groundcovers defines that space as a walkway.

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