Gardening by Judith Adam be spread over the area. The white fabric is feather light, admits air, sunlight and rain, and is reusable. Simply lay it over the planted area and hold the edges down with soil, pebbles or rocks, or any object that will keep it in place and not allow wind to catch the edges. Squirrels and other digging animals don’t understand the fabric and won’t attempt to dig through it. The fabric is sold in sheets and is easily cut with scissors. Large rolls are sold for row cover or floating frost blanket purposes in agricultural settings; affordable garden-sized sheets (approximately 8 by 16 feet) are available through online purchase and in garden centres. The floating fabric is also useful to wrap around plant stems and over soil in large containers, keeping chipmunks from digging in the pots. Squirrels lose their autumn digging instinct once the ground freezes, and the fabric can be removed at that time. It’s a bit more difficult to remove in early spring if snow and ice remain over sections, but will easily come up once the melt is complete. Best and easiest winter protection Evergreen coniferous shrubs sold in garden centres are guaranteed for winter hardiness, with roots able to withstand the average winter low temperature in your region. However, conifers can be burned by strong winter wind and you can do something about that. Wrapping shrubs with burlap covering is not always the best method of protection. Snow accumulating on burlapmelts unevenly, resulting in puddles of ice held close to plant tissues, causing burned patches which you’ll notice in spring. The most natural protection is to plant conifers on the ‘calm side’ of a wind break that will filter the wind force and prevent burned needles. In a large garden or open field, a line of dense hedging on the side of prevailing winter wind (usually from the northwest) makes a good wind break for shrubs planted within 20 feet on the opposite side of the hedge. In a smaller garden, you can make use of structures such as a garage or garden shed to break the force of northwest wind. Planting conifers in clusters also helps, with a dense woody shrub facing the wind force and smaller conifers on the calm side. Temporary barriers made from snow fencing will also filter wind. In late autumn, broadleaf conifers such as rhododendrons and azaleas can be protected from winter burn with anti-desiccant spray (sold in garden centres). Gardeners may not be able to stop winter, but we can moderate the chill. CSANews | FALL 2022 | 53
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