Garden planning – Denver winter yard and garden clean up

Sometimes Denver winters are delayed. This picture was taken in late November.

Hey there, Denver gardeners. Are you planning for your spring garden? There's one thing you may have forgotten. Is your yard and garden clean and ready for planting? If not, this is a great time to tackle it. Here in the Mile High City we have a lot of intermittent warm winter days. Why not use them to ready your garden for spring? After all, you can only pencil so many plans before you start yearning for the outdoors. So, what exactly can you do midwinter in the garden?

You can pick up the trash.

Winter winds sweeping trash into your yard? Fallen twigs and branches everywhere? Doggy-poo getting the better of you? Kids toys all over the yard? If you picked all these things up now, it won't be such a chore in the spring. Wait for a day when there's no snow on the ground and get it done.

While you're at it:

*Check for and discard broken garden pots.

*Make a note of landscaping issues, such as peeling paint on fences and borders.

*Check your garden decor for damage too. (Wind chimes, gazing balls, etc.)

Are you really going to use that thing?

Remember all those fabulous free finds you found on last year's scrounging expeditions? Make plans to use them now or discard them. You know if you wait until spring, you'll be too busy to construct those beds from that scrap lumber or make that awesome planting tower from those pallets. Why not do it now, while you have time? (On those warm days, of course.)

Organize tools in the garage or shed.

If you're like most gardeners, it takes days to find your tools in the spring. Why not plan ahead for that eventuality? Now's a great time to weed out the tool shed or garage. Crank up the tunes. Open the doors for a breath of fresh air. On days when Denver winter temps hit the 50's you might even think it's springtime. Plus, cleaning clears the cobwebs out of your head.

Stake out the tilling zones.

Do you have areas that will need tilling, come spring? Why not stake them out to make it easier? Just pace off the areas you wish to till. Pound a stake in at each corner. Now, come spring, it's just a matter of renting a rototiller and getting it done.

Take a last look around the garden.

Are there any clean-up chores you missed last fall that need doing? If so, make a note of them or just do it. Don't have time to do it all today? Frigid out? Ground too hard? That's OK. Denver has plenty of warm days in winter. You can catch it next time.