Salt alert: Avoid using heavy amounts of de-icing material, such as calcium chloride and potassium chloride. They are intended to loosen ice and melt minor amounts of snow, not to replace snow shoveling or to melt snow completely during a continuous snowfall. Any de-icing product, even those made from 100 percent fertilizer, will burn plants if used in excess. If possible, spread de-icing products on the center half to two-thirds of the area you are treating. Let the melting action work slowly out to the edges, reducing the concentration that enters plant beds and turf.
Lawn etiquette: Avoid walking on frozen grass to prevent broken blades and unwanted paths.
Juniper trim: Prune junipers lightly and use cut branches as cover for flower beds. Branches stuck into the ground in masses give the appearance of live juniper plantings.
Spring planning: Assess your 1998 landscape before the long winter arrives. Were the flower design and selection as showy as you wanted? Are there any plants that will need preventive care next year? Take notes to use with your spring planning. In addition to making your yard more enjoyable, this practice will make maintenance easier.
— Source: Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, a not-for-profit trade association
BEST GARDEN BOOK OF THE WEEK
Compose with foliage: Hoping to move from a garden centered on blooms to a composition with more texture next spring? Learn the principles over the winter with help from “The Foliage Garden,” by Becke Davis (Friedman/Fairfax Publishers, $27.50).
Q.I gathered quite a few seeds from my annual vines this fall. What is the best way to store them?
–Evanston
A.Before you store your seeds, make sure they are completely dry. If they are stored moist, mold will develop. Dry them for about a week in a heated room and put them in a tightly lidded clear glass container or a sealed plastic zipper bag. Label them carefully. Keep them over the winter in the refrigerator or any dark, cool place.
Q.Some of the spring-flowering bulbs I planted this fall have started to come up. What should I do?
–Oak Park
A.There is really nothing you can do once a bulb or plant decides to start growing. Some bulbs sprouted prematurely this fall due to our unseasonably warm weather. Next spring’s flowers should not be affected.
