Winter Landscaping Tips for Northern Virginia

4 Northern Virginia Landscaping Activities for Mid Winter

Here we are in the middle of winter. As a new year dawns over our sleeping lawns, you may be wondering what the best thing is to do right now for your landscaping. Here at AllGreen Landscape Co., we're busy preparing for spring already, so we can make your yards look fantastic. If you can't wait for spring to get here, we have 4 things you can do while it's still cold out to keep yourself busy and prepare for the longer days and warmer weather that will surely come. If you need someone to bounce landscaping ideas off of, just contact AllGreen Landscape Co. We've got plenty of ideas and we can help you get your yard ready for a gorgeous new year! (703) 992-8787.

1. Consider the Camellias

Last month, we published an article at Patch Virginia Chantilly magazine and talked about some great winter garden plants for Northern Virginia landscaping. While we usually focus on local plant varieties, we're going to mention camellias anyway. Although the original camellias are from Asia and related to the plants that produce black tea, there are some newer varieties that have been especially bred to thrive in Northern Virginia—in the winter. While they prefer being out of the wind, they do like sunshine and plenty of water. (We can help you plan the right spot for a camellia planting). There are a few varieties that are incredibly winter hardy and even produce beautiful blooms during cold, snowy times! Taylor's Perfection, Snow Flurry and Survivor are three of the best for our area.

2. Peruse Plants Online: But Know What to Look for

Now can also be a good time to pour over your seed and plant catalogs and Pinterest boards. We understand that it can be addictive looking at plants, and you may be tempted to spend a lot of money on the most gorgeous plants or tasty looking edibles for your garden. But before handing over your credit card details, make sure to have a plan and understand what plants work well in our area. Also, do some research on which plants work well together and which ones don't! Some plants don't get along. Try to lean towards hardy, native varieties. If you have questions about plant combinations, just call us: (703) 992-8787.

3. Keep snow melt chemicals off the landscaping

As winter drags on, it's possible that you'll be using snow melt chemicals to make driving and walking safer on your driveway and walkways. Just know that rock salt is not friendly to your plantings, so avoid getting any of that on your plants or lawn. One way to minimize snow melt chemical use (none of them are super for plants or the environment, but some are "less bad" than others) is to keep things shoveled or get your snow-removal crew on board to keep the snow off of your driveways and walkways proactively in the first place. Clean snow can actually be a great insulator for plants, so if it hasn't been contaminated with salt or other chemicals, go ahead and pile it on the lawn and let the kids build a snow fort out of it. And pro-tip: using plain sand can help improve traction and also improve the texture of clay-like soils.

4. Know Your Frost Dates

It's hard not to run out and start planting stuff as soon as the first warm breeze blows through in April. We understand! But it's important to know about the historical frost dates for Chantilly so you don't lose your investment in beautiful new landscaping plants from a freak freeze! Typically, mid-May has historically been frost-free, so contact us now to get on the planting schedule: (703) 992-8787.

Don't worry! Winter won't last forever! And in the spring, AllGreen Landscape Co. will there for all of your landscaping needs!