During the winter, the weather often prevents us from gardening outdoors. However, there are a number of ways to garden indoors that can keep us occupied. Here is a selection of indoor gardening projects to keep you gardening until it gets warm again.
Herb Garden
Having fresh herbs to cook with makes all your dishes taste better. You can place pots of herbs on a south-facing windowsill and have them all year. Herbs like rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme, basil, and parsley grow well indoors. Use gallon pots of potting mix and water regularly and you can have herbs any time you wish.
Indoor Vegetable Garden
You can grow many vegetables indoors in the winter. Cherry tomatoes are a popular choice and grow well on a windowsill. Greens like lettuce and spinach grow well, as do peas. For tomatoes and peas, use a small trellis inserted into the potting mix for the plants to climb on. Pick pots that are at least twelve inches deep so the roots will have plenty of room.
Succulent Collection
Succulents are a low-maintenance plant group that grows well indoors. Many of them will do well with artificial light and some will even grow in ambient room light. Succulents come in a variety of sizes and colors so a succulent garden can be as colorful as a rainbow. Use a potting mix specifically for succulents and let the soil dry out well between waterings so the roots do not rot.
Terrariums
Terrariums are closed plant communities under glass. A well-designed terrarium rarely needs watering or attention. Choose plants that will not grow too big for the space. Place potting mix and mulch in a glass container like an aquarium or lidded glass box. Put your plants in, water well, and cover. The water evaporates and keeps the humidity high. The water will condense and water the plants for a long time without any action on your part. Terrariums do require light, so use an artificial light as part of the lid or place them in the sunlight.
Orchid Care
If you like flowers, orchids come in an amazing array of shapes and sizes. While some require hot houses, many orchids will grow well inside a typical home. The American Orchid Society has a website with lots of care tips and other information. The Orchid Society of Greater Kansas City has regular meetings where you can learn about growing orchids.
African Violets
African violets are another flowering plant that does well indoors. They are much easier to grow than their reputation suggests and come in colors from almost white to very dark purple. The African Violet Society of America has good information on growing violets on their website.
Indoor Citrus Trees
Dwarf citrus trees are another indoor possibility. Many dwarf trees do very well indoors even without a conservatory. Most don’t produce fruit, but the fragrance the blooms produce can make your house smell wonderful.
Vertical Gardens
If you want to grow many of your own vegetables, you can use a vertical garden system to do so. These are hydroponic towers that you plant vegetables or other plants in. Many come complete with artificial lights and instructions on how to grow your favorite vegetables. Just add water and fertilizer and you can eat salads with fresh greens, tomatoes, and cucumbers all year.
The garden tower pictured above is a complete system that works well for indoor gardening. Water gives plant roots all the nutrients they require. Grow lights provide light so the plants can thrive. You can grow most plants in the garden tower, including vegetables.
Bonsai Trees
Bonsai trees are a challenging hobby for people who like to garden. They take patience and some specialized knowledge but can produce wonderful trees and country scenes. The trees can live hundreds of years if cared for properly. The American Bonsai Society has a very informative website and local clubs where you can learn more.
Schedule Spring Projects Now
Being cooped indoors isn’t as much fun as being able to use your outdoor living space, but a few indoor gardening projects can help you spend the time. While you are inside, remember that Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping is doing hardscapes all winter as well as designing outdoor projects for spring. If you have a project you want us to help you with, schedule a consultation before our schedule fills up.
Keeping your outdoor living area looking appealing during the winter can be difficult. Most of the plants are dormant and there may even be a layer of snow covering your landscape. However, there are ways that you can add interest to your winter garden. Here are some tips from our experience in the garden.
Evergreen Plants
Evergreen plants stay green and lush no matter what the temperature is. Juniper, holly, and other evergreen plants will stand out in the winter landscape. Boxwoods such as Green Velvet for hedges or Graham Blandy for tall, skinny spaces like entryways are very hardy and do well in our area. Evergreen trees like specialty spruces can be a great winter accent. The key is to give them plenty of water in late fall and on warm days during the winter. Applying wilt-pruf to broad-leaf evergreens in the fall is also very helpful to help these evergreens retain the moisture they need to avoid winter burn.
Berries and Fruits
Many plants have berries or fruit that stay on the plant all winter. Holly has pretty red berries that birds feed on all winter. American beauty berries, possum haw, and buckbrush are a few native plants with red berries that stay all winter.
Colorful Bark
Some plants have interesting bark. Crape myrtles have bark that sheds in strips. Ninebark also has exfoliating bark. Arctic Fire Red twig dogwoods also have a bright red stem that stands out against the snow. Having different colored bark with some hanging from the trunk adds visual interest and contrast to the garden.
Winter-Flowering Plants
While most flowers bloom in the warmer months, there are plants that flower in the winter. Winter bulbs such as crocus, snowdrops, daffodils, grape hyacinths, snowflakes, and tulips can add welcome color during the winter. Hellebores are also a fun winter flowering perennial that offers a nice surprise in the snow. Other winter flowering plants include common witch hazel, a native plant, and cold hardy pansies. While pansies are technically an annual, they will survive our winters and have a showy bloom all the way through spring.
Structural Elements
A stone wall can add interest to a landscape no matter what the season. Statues, paver paths, and other hardscape elements add interest even in the winter when the plants around them may be dormant. Water features can also create a focal feature and run through most of the winter and can be heated fairly easily as well.
Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses are a great way to add interest to your landscape. They stay upright and maintain their bulk until they are trimmed in the spring. Maiden grass has silvery plumes that persist into winter. Switchgrass is another grass that looks nice in the fall and well into the winter.
Winter Containers
Colorful containers of winter hardy plants like ornamental kale, pansies, or evergreens can add bright spots in the garden. They also look nice in those pots by the entryway that no longer have summer flowers in them.
Pathways and Lighting
Paver or natural stone pathways, patios, and decks continue to provide interest even in winter. Using lighting to strategically accent hardscapes or specimen plants that look good all winter can also add interest to the landscape.
Garden Art and Decor
Incorporating sculptures or other garden art can spice up a winter landscape. Colorful murals on fences or a painted sculpture can add splashes of color to the area. They also add personality to your garden. Don’t forget to shine a light on them with shorter days to show them off in the dark as well.
Bird Feeders and Houses
Birds are fun to watch in the winter and they really appreciate bird feeders, bird houses, and suet balls. Colorful feeders and painted birdhouses add their own interest to the yard. You can take a pinecone and roll it in peanut butter, then sunflowers, and hang it on a branch or near a window to provide the birds with food if you don’t want something more permanent.
We at Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping want to thank you for a great year and a great decade. Even with the constant challenges that come with growth, our team has stuck together and made it another successful season. We made it through the summer heat and drought into the fall with a long list of completed projects. Now we are reflecting not just on our past year, but our past decade as a company.
A Ten-Year Celebration
We had a wonderful time at our ten-year celebration in September. Although the day was a little rainy, it turned out to be a wonderful event, and we enjoyed seeing everyone. We also raised enough money for Wildwood Outdoor Education Center to send 13 kids to a weeklong camp in the outdoors next summer.
Social Share
Remember that you can find and follow us on Facebook,Instagram, and LinkedIn. This is where we post our blog and other news during the month. We would really appreciate it if you would repost our shares to your network. The more people who see our work, the more people we can reach. After all, everyone deserves a wonderful outdoor living space.
Referrals
Referrals are the lifeblood of our business. If you know someone who is thinking of landscaping their property or improving their outdoor living space, please give them our name. We really appreciate our wonderful customers who send people our way and help spread the word about our services.
Looking Forward
We are looking forward to the next ten years of building outdoor living spaces for families like you. The Blue Crew install team is split into 3 divisions with several team members on each crew. We are always interested in talking to people about a career in landscaping, so if you know anyone interested in a career in horticulture or construction, let us know and we will see if we are a good fit.
Be A Part Of Our Story
Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping would love for you to continue to be a part of our story. Please schedule a consult so we can help you design new elements of your outdoor living space. Happy New Year and have a wonderful 2024.
At Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping, winter is for construction which means hardscapes and carpentry. As long as we have dug out the foundation before the soil freezes, we can work through the winter building all kinds of stone and paver projects from retaining walls to patios, fire pits, and outdoor kitchens. Winter is also a good time for us to work on carpentry projects, including decks and screened-in porches. We will build roofs and shade structures for outdoor spaces to be ready for the planting phase once spring arrives.
Patios
We build patios of all kinds. We specialize in pavers, or natural stone but can also offer concrete options as well. Each has advantages and disadvantages.
Pavers
Approximately 80% of our patios are made of pavers. These are individual concrete shapes that are laid in a pattern to form the patio. Pavers come in all shapes and sizes. The flexible joints allow pavers to move with the soil, so they don’t crack like solid concrete patios. In addition, pavers can be dug up without destroying them if you need to access pipes or wires under them, they can also be repaired if settling occurs over time.
Natural Stone
Natural stone is another choice. It is the biggest investment but it will never go out of style since it comes from the earth. Stone can be many colors and can be cut into many shapes. It is laid on a base of aggregate or in a mortar bed on concrete. As with pavers, the flexible nature of the installation allows for the stones to be adjusted later for future phases or repairs as needed.
Concrete
Concrete can be poured if it is going to be above freezing for a few days. The advantage of concrete is that it is easy to work with and is less expensive than other materials. However, as the soil freezes and thaws, it moves, which will eventually cause concrete to crack over time.
Retaining Walls
Retaining walls are often necessary to terrace yards with slopes. They prevent erosion of the soil. Retaining walls can be concrete block or stone. Stone is more natural and everlasting, but concrete can be cast in any shape and it tends to be less expensive.
Pool Decks
Pools decks don’t have to be expanses of white concrete. We can create colored concrete patios around your pool. Another option is a walkway made of pavers or natural stones. We can make the area around your pool safe and pretty at the same time.
Planning For Spring
Now is an excellent time to plan for work you want done in the spring. We can come out on a consultation and talk to you about the work you want. We will draw up the plans and get them just the way you want them so that when the weather warms up, we can get started on your project.
Ready or not, here comes the snow. Are you prepared to deal with de-icing your hardscape? Here are some suggestions we have used to keep things snow and ice-free.
Snow Shovels
A snow shovel is definitely different from a garden or digging shovel. For one thing, snow shovels are usually lighter and wider, around 18-24 inches. They are designed to do one of three things: scoop the snow, push the snow, or both. You can even get electric snow shovels now (not sure how well they work). A push shovel is better than a scoop shovel for large jobs and large areas. A scoop shovel is better for tight confined areas. Either one may have an ergonomic handle to help prevent back pain when shoveling.
Plastic shovels are lighter but are not good if you have to chip away at hard ice and are more prone to break. Steel shovels are good at hard snow and ice removal and are very durable but may be heavy. Aluminum is stronger than plastic but may bend or break when removing hard ice that requires chipping away. Choose the best shovel you can afford for the type of snow and ice in your area. The Blue Crew likes to use the wider plastic shovels for pushing snow, and we break out our landscape shovels when we need to chip away at heavy ice.
Snow Blowers
Snow blowers come in several types. Electric snow blowers are capable of clearing light snow. They are commonly used on decks and steps that larger mowers won’t fit on. Electric snow blowers are usually less heavy-duty than other snow blowers and wear out faster. They also throw anything they encounter, including rocks and other debris. However, they are low maintenance and easy to use.
Single-stage snow blowers are gasoline-powered. They scoop up the snow and shoot it out the shoot. In addition to being cheaper than other gasoline-powered blowers, they are smaller and lighter. They can handle up to twelve inches of snow so you might have to clear snow multiple times during a storm. Don’t use them on a rock driveway as they will throw the rocks.
Two-stage snow blowers are more powerful than both electric snow blowers and single-stage snow blowers. They can handle as much as eighteen inches of snow and power through drifts. The snow is picked up by the auger, and then thrown through the shoot. They can be used on concrete and rock driveways. However, they are heavier and more expensive than the first two types of snow blowers.
Three-stage snow blowers are the most powerful walk-behind mowers for consumers. Augers pick up the snow, then it is moved to the middle, where it is chopped and thrown fifty feet out of the shoot. If you have to push through frozen walls of ice the snowplow left behind, you will need a three-stage snow blower. They often feature heated grips, self-propelled wheels, and single-push shoot control.
Snow Pushing Equipment
For those of you with a bigger budget and who like your toys, you can invest in all types of snow-pushing equipment. There are small plows that you can put on the front of a mower or ATV to help clear driveways. We use our bobcats with blades on them to clear snow whenever possible, and of course, you can put a plow on a truck if you really have a lot to clear.
Ice Melt & Pre-Treating
Ice melt can work wonders for helping to clear snow and ice during the winter. Some types of ice melt like old-fashioned salt can cause damage to concrete if left over time. Salt is typically used for asphalt roads and parking lots, but when it is left on your concrete driveway or walkway for too long can cause some serious damage. We prefer to use magnesium chloride or calcium magnesium acetate to help melt ice and snow. These products are less damaging to concrete surfaces. The Blue Crew tends to pre-treat whenever possible. This is the magic secret to making your life easier with it comes to snow. By putting down a thin coating of ice melt prior to the storm, you can usually save yourself some serious work later. The snow at the bottom will not stick as much and helps prevent a bottom layer of ice when shoveling. In some cases, during light snow, the ice melt can really minimize the amount of scraping or shoveling that needs to be done.
Careful of Your Pavers Though
While removing snow and ice is important, you need to be careful when doing so on pavers. It is best to avoid de-icing chemicals on pavers. These will strip the seal on the pavers and over time can cause flaking on the top. The flaking will eventually leave dimples on top that collect water, ice, and leaves. Use a snow shovel or snow blower instead. You would hate to ruin your investment in your paver patio or walkway due to too many ice melt treatments.
Remove Snow the Right Way
Take the time now to make sure that you are prepared for the snow this season. Evaluate your hard surface areas and what is a priority for clearing during a storm. Get the right tools for the job and have a game plan. Don’t forget about your guests and the mailman when you clear your property. A snow-covered landscape is such a beautiful sight, and when you have clean and clear surfaces, it makes it even more breathtaking. Best of luck this winter and have a Happy Holiday Season from Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping!
