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PLANT OF THE MONTH
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The red berry-like clusters of the Winterberry shrub (Ilex verticillata) provide a striking contrast to the snowy winter landscape. These clusters (known as drupes) ripen in the fall and remain through the winter, adding colour and attracting birds to your garden. They can also be cut and displayed indoors for long-lasting colour.
Winterberry shrubs thrive in full to part-sun and acidic moist-wet soils, growing approximately 1.5-2.5 m tall in most urban areas. Avoid planting in alkaline soil as this can stunt plant growth and cause the leaves to turn yellow (chlorosis). Tolerant of foot traffic, drought and salt, Winterberry can be grouped and grown near driveways, sidewalks or entrances to create a stunning winter welcome. Also try planting near water, low-lying areas or in raingardens.
These attractive native shrubs are dioecious, meaning they are either male or female, and pollination between them is necessary for the females to produce their beautiful red fruit. Plant a male shrub within 15 m (50 ft) of any females so pollinators can fertilize the females. You can pair up to five or six female shrubs with one male planted nearby.
For the best results, purchase larger plants if possible. Winterberry are slow growers, but perform well when transplanted. Plant in front of native evergreens for a striking winter combination, or try grouping with Silky Dogwood, Eastern Ninebark, Hardhack Spiraea or Meadowsweet. In moist part-shade, pair with ferns such as Cinnamon Fern, Sensitive Fern or Spinulose Wood Fern.
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CARING FOR YOUR YARD
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The Benefits of Snow Cover
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The freeze and thaw cycles of winter can be hard on plants, especially those planted within the past growing season. A quick drop in temperature can cause frost heave, where the moisture in the soil expands, shifting plants and damaging roots.
Snow cover can be beneficial for our gardens. It provides insulation and minimizes soil temperature fluctuations, reducing frost heave. This white, fluffy blanket also protects soil and plants from winter’s harsh, drying winds and glaring sun. When spring arrives, the melting snow provides soil with the moisture and nutrients essential for emerging plants.
What you can do now
Leave snow that falls around trees and shrubs, but keep in mind that rabbits may use the snow as a ladder to reach upper branches for a nibble. Make sure tree guards or fencing installed around trunks reaches higher than the snow to protect against browsing bunnies. For branch tips, consider purchasing and applying a natural animal repellent, like Bobbex.
Place loose, powdery snow gently into the garden and around trees and shrubs. Avoid dumping heavy, wet snow and snow contaminated with de-icing salts onto plants.
If you don't have any snow, cover bare soil with mulch, such as wood chips or leaves, and gently tamp the roots back into the soil for any plants that have been “heaved” out of the ground.
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DID YOU KNOW
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During the winter months, it’s easier to spot the signs of animals big and small running around gathering food, looking for shelter and interacting with each other throughout the city. Once there is snow on the ground, it can be a fun activity to examine and try to identify what made the tracks in the snow, getting a glimpse into the wonderful world of urban wildlife.
If you spot a set of tracks that go from a tree to a bird feeder, you probably have something other than birds enjoying your birdseed. If all four footprints are bunched together with the larger ones out front, you probably have a squirrel; but if those prints have an alternating pattern (like human prints), you may have a raccoon visiting while you are sleeping.
The shape of the track provides a lot of information about the animal who left it. A pair of prints in the shape of a teardrop could indicate deer have been by, whereas birds leave tracks that resemble peace signs. Four toe prints and a heal pad indicate a canine or feline. If you see toenail marks, you'll know it's a canine.
Dog tracks are common along trails or in parks, but how do you know if it is a domestic dog or a coyote? Observing the path the tracks take is the easiest way to distinguish the two: coyotes are efficient and move in straight lines, whereas domestic dogs tend to travel erratically.
Some small rodents, like voles, spend a lot of time under the snow and leave evidence of their visit with long winding tunnels that are visible from above. If you follow a trail and it abruptly ends at a large messy hole edged with markings from wing tips, there is a good chance a hawk or owl found a snack.
Footprints in the snow aren’t the only signs left by wildlife; scat, middens and plant damage can provide evidence of where an animal has been and what it has been up to. You will be surprised at how many different animals call your neighbourhood home.
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EVENTS
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Join CVC in Mississauga and Brampton at these FREE events. Visit our display table to learn about growing and maintaining native plants, rainscaping and other sustainable gardening tips for your yard.
Brampton Seedy Saturday
Saturday, March 9
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Century Gardens Recreation Centre
Mississauga Seedy Saturday
Saturday, April 6
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Unitarian Congregation of Mississauga
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Also, the Port Credit Seed Lending Library is having its grand reopening on Saturday, March 2. Find collections of edible and decorative organic seeds for your garden at the Seed Library Station.
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At Credit Valley Conservation, we create connections between people and nature, knowledge and action. We lead the protection, restoration and enhancement of our local natural environment, and we inspire a deep appreciation for the role of nature in keeping us connected, healthy and happy.
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