Urban Garden Winterizing Update Part One

Yesterday was the third Sunday of Advent, a season of preparation. And while the preparation referred to re this particular time period is spiritual, gardens, at least in the climate where I live, need preparation too.

They need preparation for the W word, W being winter, a season that does not officially begin for five days, but a season that is already occurring in New York City where I live and maintain an urban garden on my terrace.

My garden consists of an array of perennials including flowers, herbs, ornamental grasses, trees, shrubs and vines; and they have provided me with such joy during their peak times when they are lush, the least I can do is provide them with a comfy home for the holidays and throughout winter.

A number of years ago when I first began to investigate methods for winterizing my urban garden, a man (named Jay P) suggested I build a cold frame by using wooden beams, hinges and plexa-glass, which he ultimately did for me. I even decorated it with outdoor Christmas. A few photo-ops of our endeavor can be seen in images one through four.

The cold frame was built in such a manner that it could be disassembled for storage during non-winter months, which I did after using it that first winter. After it was reassembled the following year I added garland which can be seen in images five through eight.

(To read more specifics on the construction details re my cold frame, please refer to the guest post I did for Fern Richardson's Life on the Balcony @ https://www.facebook.com/TheLastLeafGardener/app_119255214825893)

The following year, all the flora I grew was established enough that they did not require being in a cold frame; however they still required protection. My solution was to do wrap-winterizing, a method of wrapping each container in bubble wrap, then adding a layer of burlap, and tying everything together with jute. I have produced a mini-movie (that is in my Vimeo library) featuring this technique and if you'd like to see it, I've provided a link within the support materials of this entry.

The images featured in placeholders nine through twelve feature a few details from my first year of the wrap winterizing method; while images thirteen through eighteen feature details from the second year of winterizing by wrapping, and images nineteen through twenty-two feature details of my third year of winterizing by wrapping, when I added name tags to my flora.

(Info on the name tags is @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/search/label/Name%20Tag%20Project )

Moreover, for that particular year, Juan V and I had my contorted hazelnut "serve" as a Christmas tree (image twenty-three) and it inspired me so much that I rendered an image of it into my Christmas card for that year (image twenty-four).

But last year after the winter wrap (where a very small portion can be seen in image twenty-six), I got a small Christmas tree (image twenty-seven); however, I still used my contorted hazelnut as a Christmas tree (image twenty-eight).

A major difference in last year's winter from the winters prior to that is I have had an array of birds visit my garden and some of them can be seen in the photo-ops numbered twenty-nine through thirty-six.

I had two wind related accidents in my garden during the 2012-13 winter. The first was when my Christmas tree in its stand landed on its side after gusts of wind (picture thirty- seven).

The second was when a winter nor'easter blew down the larch (picture thirty-eight) that I've had for a good number of years which is something I shared with gardener extraordinaire and HT comrade who can be found @ http://www.hometalk.com/o0ocpyc5gb.

I am happy to say that my larch is recovering well and as for my experience with last year's Christmas tree, a building super helped me secure it.

This year's Christmas tree is much larger and hopefully sturdier.
I'll post pictures of it along with photo-ops of my 2013-14 winterizing efforts in my next post when I conclude my urban garden winterizing update.
Cold Frame CLOSED Year One. This was included in a "How my Urban Garden Grows (Influence of my Grandfather) @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2010/01/how-my-urban-garden-grows-highly.html
Cold Frame CLOSED Year One. This was included in a "How my Urban Garden Grows (Influence of my Grandfather) @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2010/01/how-my-urban-garden-grows-highly.html
Cold Frame OPEN (NIGHT) Year One. Image included in a Life on the Balcony @ https://www.facebook.com/TheLastLeafGardener/app_119255214825893
Cold Frame Year One. Featured in "I've never seen a billboard lovely as a tree" @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2011/05/ive-never-seen-billboard-lovely-as-tree_14.html
Cold Frame CLOSED (NIGHT) Year Two: Draped in Garland (Image featured in "I've never seen a billboard lovely as a tree" @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2011/05/ive-never-seen-billboard-lovely-as-tree_14.html)
Cold Frame Year Two: (This image was included in a "How my Urban Garden Grows (Influence of my Grandfather) @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2010/01/how-my-urban-garden-grows-highly.html)
Cold Frame CLOSED (Day) Year Two: (This image was included in a "How my Urban Garden Grows (Influence of my Grandfather) @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2010/01/how-my-urban-garden-grows-highly.html)
Cold Frame Night. Year Two. (This image was included in a Life on the Balcony @ https://www.facebook.com/TheLastLeafGardener/app_119255214825893)
Wrapping Year One. Winter Season 2009-10. (This image was included in a "How my Urban Garden Grows (Influence of my Grandfather) @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2010/01/how-my-urban-garden-grows-highly.html)
Wrapping Year One. Winter Season 2009-10. (This image was featured in "I've never seen a billboard lovely as a tree" @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2011/05/ive-never-seen-billboard-lovely-as-tree_14.html)
Wrapping Year One. Winter Season 2009-10. (This image was featured in "I've never seen a billboard lovely as a tree" @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2011/05/ive-never-seen-billboard-lovely-as-tree_14.html)
Wrapping Year One. Winter Season 2009-10. (This image was featured in "I've never seen a billboard lovely as a tree" @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2011/05/ive-never-seen-billboard-lovely-as-tree_14.html)
Wrapping Year Two. Winter Season 2010-11. (This image was featured in "Home for the Holidays" @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2010/12/home-for-holidays.html)
Wrapping Year Two. Winter Season 2010-11. The large container to the left was the home of my kiwi vines which they out grew in the spring of that year @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2012/06/if-its-tuesday-it-must-be-tumblr-week_1
Wrapping Year Two. Winter Season 2010-11. (This image was featured in "Urban Garden Party" @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2011/04/urban-terrace-garden-party-trees-plants.html)
Wrapping Year Two. Winter Season 2010-11. This "scene" was included in my first garden themed movie; "The Kiwi Speaks! . . . " @ https://vimeo.com/37027072
Wrapping Year Two. Winter Season 2010-11. This "scene" was included in my first garden themed movie; "The Kiwi Speaks! . . . " @ https://vimeo.com/37027072
Wrapping Year Two. Winter Season 2010-11. This "scene" was included in my first garden themed movie; "The Kiwi Speaks! . . . " @ https://vimeo.com/37027072
Wrapping Year Three. Winter Season 2011-12. (Name Tag info @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/search/label/Name%20Tag%20Project ). This variety of tulips is featured in a mini movie @ https://vimeo.com/41016521
Wrapping Year Three. Winter Season 2011-12 using name tags. This picture was included in "Remembering Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window" @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2010/12/remembering-hitchcocks-rear-window-with.html
Wrapping Year Three. Winter Season 2011-12 using name tags. This image was featured in a post on tumblr @ http://thelastleafgardener.tumblr.com/post/15248371379/earlier-today-i-ran-into-some-people-who-live-in
Wrapping Year Three. Winter Season 2011-12 using name tags. This picture was included in "We've got to say goodbye for the winter" @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2012/01/we-have-gotta-say-good-bye-for-winter.html
Winter Season 2011-2012. This image was featured in "If the dog hadn't stop to sneeze . . . " @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2012/11/if-dog-hadnt-stop-to-sneeze.html#more
Winter Season 2011-2012. Photo I created for my Christmas card in 2011. Back story @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2011/12/wednesdays-wisdom.html#more
Wrapping Year Four. Winter Season 2012-13. This photo was included with a "story" @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/01/another-year-over-and-new-one-just_20.html
Wrapping Year Four. Winter Season 2012-13. This photo was included with a "story" @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/01/another-year-over-and-new-one-just_20.html
Wrapping Year Four. Winter Season 2012-13. This photo was included with a "story" @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/01/another-year-over-and-new-one-just_20.html
Winter Season 2012-13. Downy Woodpecker alighted on Christmas branches. Info @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/01/another-year-over-and-new-one-just_20.html
Winter Season 2012-13. A male house finch enjoys the pine-cone-flowers on my contorted hazelnut. Info @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/01/another-year-over-and-new-one-just_20.html
Winter Season 2012-13. Cam (my visiting cardinal) enjoying a game of peek-a-boo during the winter season.
Winter Season 2012-13. A common grackle alights on my larch to snack on suet. More info @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/04/is-spring-of-2013-finally-finally_28.html#more
Winter Season 2012-13. A tufted tit mouse stops by for a snack. More info on this sweet bird @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/search/label/Tufted%20Titmouse
Winter Season 2012-13. A couple of sparrows brek bread with my house finch at a picnic in my garden. INFO @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/03/let-spring-season-begin.html#more
Winter Season 2012-13. Cam's beau Mac noshing on crumbs that fall to the "floor" of my garden.
Winter Season 2012-13. The Mourning Doves enjoying a picnic in the snow @ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=467963703253008&set=pb.247917655257615.-2207520000.1372783640.&type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%
Winter Season 2012-13. OOPS. Christmas tree and stand not secured enough to sustain windy NYC!
Winter Season 2012-13. During a windy winter day, my larch toppled over destroying some of its shape which is something I shared with HT comrade Douglas H @ http://www.hometalk.com/o0ocpyc5gb
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