With Kelly Holdbrooks
Winter weather on the mountain can vary dramatically in the beginning. Some days are warm and sunny while others drop in temperature with dustings of light snow signaling the much colder months that lie ahead. So, it’s best to make hay while the sun is up, or more accurately before the ground freezes.
Garden bed maintenance in the winter involves many steps as we prepare each garden room for winter slumber. General cleanup of debris such as sticks and leaves is a major task in a high elevation woodland garden. In wilder areas, we leave the leaves; however, in more formal garden beds we collect them and shred them before placing them back into the beds as mulch. Beneficial insects need habitat such as brush piles, stems of perennials and grasses, branches of trees and shrubs, and leaf litter for nesting and overwintering.
Plant health is dependent on water, sunlight, and pH levels. Collecting and testing soil is important and provides an overview of soil and plant health. Based on the results, we will begin to address micro and macro nutrients in our garden rooms. The addition of lime is an annual task due to pH leaching from the gneiss at the Reserve. As we wait for the results of the soil samples to be returned from the lab in Raleigh, we will transplant and plant evergreen shrubs and trees.
Adaptive management practices in storm water mitigation are always top of mind on the mountain. As climate change continues to affect weather, we observe increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events at the Reserve. Last month, we recorded over 100 inches of annual rainfall, including six weeks of drought during the summer. Hurricanes Fred and Helene were only three years apart, and both storm events caused dramatic geologic changes to our region. To address these changes, we’ve implemented green infrastructure with our new greenhouse facility. The newly installed rain and bog gardens provide both form and function to the Reserve by directing stormwater, providing habitat, and offering an educational experience for visitors. Not all stormwater mitigation practices are this aesthetically pleasing, but they are a critical part of design in any landscape. In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, we are addressing stormwater on the very steep road from the Lodge to the new greenhouse facility.
Often, it’s difficult to fathom the beauty, power, and magnitude of the natural world and the unique role humans play in it. But as gardeners (this could be more than just gardeners) we are mindful, steady, resilient, and committed to our part of the interconnected ecosystems of the Earth. Because we are not separate from nature, it’s important to move with the seasons and everything they embody. In winter, we pause, slow down, plan, rest, and prepare for spring’s emergence—for spring will be a different cadence full of new life.