Gardening in New England

Gardening in New England is a challenge, but it can be incredibly rewarding. The region offers the gardener a large variety of weather, topography, vegetation. Many of the most beautiful perennials, shrubs and trees all require a real winter.

New England soil

Soil in New England tends to be rocky. Look around at all the rock walls and fencing you will typically find in this area: once you start to garden, you’ll know where they came from! The removal of these rocks is essential for success in your garden, but there is no easy way to do it. Grab a spade, a gardening fork and a wheelbarrow and get started.

Gardening spades

The soil is very fertile, but heavy, which can make it difficult for plants to establish themselves. Take care not to plant plants that need good drainage. If you dig in several inches of compost or sphagnum peat moss to break up the clay, you will add rich nutrients and lighten up the soil allowing for improved drainage. The deeper you dig in such amendments, the deeper your plants’ roots will be able to penetrate, and with a better root system your plants will be more apt at finding their own nutrients and water.

Sphagnum peat moss

Starting seeds indoors

One of the biggest challenges the New England gardener faces is that of a short growing season. Many New England gardeners extend their growing season by starting seeds indoors. Starting your plants indoors from seed not only allows you to get a jump on your garden, but it also offers you the opportunity to choose between hundreds or even thousands of plants in numerous colors and varieties for a fraction of the cost of buying already propagated plants from your local nursery or garden center. Seeds are available everywhere, but to get the largest variety, go to a seed catalog or seed-specialist web site like Burpee. Once you start your seeds, you will transition them to a cold frame.

Cold frames

A cold frame is a miniature greenhouse made of many materials such as wood, aluminum or even bales of hay. It is partially sunk into the soil with a glass or plastic cover that can be vented during sunny days. Placing your seedlings in the cold frame helps to gently expose your new plants to the cold. By doing this you limit the stress on your plants by slowly letting them adjust to their new environment.

Cold frames

Container gardening

Containers are helpful to the New England gardener because they allow you to start your garden indoors and then transfer it outdoors when the weather permits. Similarly, it’s easy to bring your plantings back indoors when the winter returns. Annuals, perennials, flowering bulbs, vegetables and small shrubs can all be grown in containers with success. Additionally, container gardens can be easily moved around to fill in for areas of your garden that may not have survived the winter, or are not performing so well. You can choose any type of container to fit into your garden landscape that works well with the color scheme and type of home you have. Glazed ceramic containers work well if they have drainage holes. For wooden containers, cedar is a good rot-resistant choice.

Glazed ceramic planters

Protecting plants in winter

Newly planted shrubs, ornamental trees and bushes, and roses are very susceptible to cold winds that can dehydrate bare limbs during the New England winters. There are a few things you can do for exposed areas: shield valuable plantings with a burlap screen, mulch plants after the ground has frozen, and keep snow off limbs before the snow has a chance to freeze. Hardy plants and shrubs have roots that can survive freezing by going dormant, but damage can occur when an early thaw breaks the dormancy, followed by a freeze that kills the vulnerable roots. A mulch applied after the ground freezes helps keep the ground frozen until a sustained thaw sets in.

Mulching

Not only can mulching help you maintain your soil temperature to help avoid root damage during unexpected warm winter days, it can also help to warm up the garden soil. Using a black plastic mulch film to cover a garden area, particularly a vegetable garden, will greatly heat up the soil allowing you to put your plants and seeds into the ground earlier than if you wait for mother nature to do it herself.

Black plastic mulch film

Winter plants for the garden

Many shrubs that flower in spring or summer produce wonderful berry displays in autumn that often persist well into winter. Some of the best berry-bearing shrubs are winterberry and holly. Ornamental grasses and ornamental evergreens look great year round. Most ornamental grass gardens undergo dramatic transformations in autumn, as their dried seed heads change color to wonderful shades of beige, rust, brown and silver.

Ornamental grasses

Ornamental evergreens and evergreen trees add interest to your garden and provide shelter for birds and animals. Additionally, feeding the birds in your area during the long New England winters will help to keep these insect-eating garden friends in your area all year round. Consider a year-round bird feeder for your garden.

As with any area, it is important to read the labels on what you purchase and to follow the growers’ recommendations on where to plant, how often to water, and when to fertilize. Recognizing the special challenges unique challenges to the New England gardener is key to ensuring success. If you take the time to understand these opportunities, research your planting options, and choose wisely, you will enjoy a healthy and thriving garden for years to come. For some tips on decorating your garden, check out our guide to garden accents.