Blog

Oct 05, 2023

Gardening: Time to protect garden statuary, pottery and wood furniture

As winter approaches, ornamental structures and decorations need some attention.

As winter approaches, ornamental structures and decorations need some attention. Most materials, even solid stone, are not impervious to the damaging effects of winter weather.

Plastic gets brittle and easily cracks or shatters. Resins fade and chip. Terra cotta and ceramic shatter. Concrete can be damaged, eroding and breaking as water seeps into cracks then freezes and thaws, expands and contracts, over and over as temperatures rise and fall.

They all need protection if you want them to last.

The small items are easy. Move them out of the weather. Remember that it's not the cold that does the damage but the water and ice. So you can store items in a cold shed, barn, garage for the winter.

Larger items are a bit problematic. They can be wrapped in a breathable but waterproof cover of polypropylene, but it can be expensive and difficult to find.

Another suggestion for large empty containers or fountain bowls is to wrap or fill with burlap to absorb any condensation and then cover with something waterproof. You can't just cover with plastic because the humidity in the air can condense in or on the item and result in the same cracking and chipping that direct exposure can cause.

The Oregon State University Extension has a good article on the subject, "How to Winterize your Concrete Garden Art" (http://bit.ly/1tCKzfj). See also "Preserving Your Garden Ornaments" on PBS Antiques Roadshow website (www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/tips/gardenornaments.html).

Outdoor wooden furniture also needs protection as well.

While an annual treatment with a protective oil after a good cleaning is sufficient for teak, other woods need a bit more protection. Here, your best option is moving the furniture indoors. Next is using furniture covers. These should be water-resistant, not waterproof. Condensation under a waterproof cover can damage stored furniture.

Sealants and paints also will extend the life of your furniture.

If your outdoor furniture is metal, make sure to treat it with some sort of protection. Use car wax on aluminum or plastic furniture. Paste wax on wicker helps, but storage out of the weather is the best option.

Iron furniture should be brushed to remove any rust, paint repaired and the surface treated with a silicon sealant.

I love woodpeckers. They are colorful, interesting and generally shy. However, there is one woodpecker that is definitely trying my patience. We live in a heavily wooded area, a haven for birds and other wildlife and I generally celebrate seeing the birds, the chipmunks, the salamanders, the snakes and more.

But this particular woodpecker has decided that the door frame around our front door is prime pecking territory. He pecks a hole, I fix it, then he pecks one next to it. I’ve investigated this problem and reached several conclusions:

This is not a mating thing; it continues long past the mating season. I suppose it could be some sort of territorial signaling, but he’d get a much better sound on harder wood. I discount this because the territorial drumming in the past has been a much louder sound resonating from the siding, or any other metal on the house.

It is not bugs in the frame. I’ve checked it and it's clean.

It is not wood. The house, built in the ’80s, is made of architectural foam, not wood. This, unfortunately, seems to have the consistency of soft, damaged wood — prime real estate for insects.

So, I am assuming this persistent woodpecker thinks that he's found a great food source. In any case, each morning, and several times throughout the day, I have a constant tapping reminiscent of the maddening tapping and rapping of the maddening bird in Edgar Allan Poe's poem, "The Raven":

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore —

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

"’Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door —

Only this and nothing more."

I have had the most success in dissuading my visitor when husband Fran suspended some fake snakes on the door frame. This is fine in October but is definitely not the appropriate decor for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

So not being a birder, I am asking for suggestions — other than replacing the door frame — from others who may have encountered this problem. I don't want the bird gone, just not pecking at our front door.

Sue Kittek is a freelance garden columnist, writer, and lecturer. Send questions to Garden Keeper at [email protected] or mail: Garden Keeper, The Morning Call, P.O. Box 1260, Allentown, PA 18105.

Planting:

Use asters, kale, mums, winter pansies and other fall favorites to brighten the fall landscape. Add pumpkins, gourds, straw or corn to seasonal displays.

Finish planting spring-flowering bulbs, garlic and shallots, asparagus and rhubarb, perennials, trees and shrubs.

Sow seeds that require a cold period for germination.

Seasonal:

Clean, check, repair decorations before installing, discarding damaged ones.

Clear off mushy foliage after frosts.

Remove spent annual and vegetable plants from planters and beds. Keep pathways clear of dead plants and leaves.

If you are purchasing a live potted or burlapped Christmas tree, find planting spot, dig it out and store soil, covered or in a container in the garage.

Dig and store tender bulbs as the foliage is killed off by cold weather or frosts.

Allow plants to set seed as food for wildlife.

Pot up plants to winter over indoors.

Cut back peony greens to 3 to 4 inches.

Lawn:

Rake, blow or mulch fallen leaves on the lawn.

Chores:

Bring in or wrap large statuary to avoid winter damage. Store empty terracotta, clay or plastic pots in a dry, protected area to avoid cracking.

Stop pruning.

Mark off beds, new plantings, plants that are late to break dormancy in the spring and delicate plants. Stay off them when decorating or dealing with snow removal.

Order or buy mulch for winter but do not apply until the ground freezes.

Store amaryllis bulbs in a cool dry area until they resprout in about 8 to 10 weeks.W

Check caulking around doors and windows. Repair now to keep out mice, ladybugs and stinkbugs. Repair or replace damaged screens. Drain and store garden hoses.

Provide deer, rabbit and groundhog protection for vulnerable plants. Reapply taste or scent deterrents.

Clean and fill bird feeders regularly. Clean up spilled seed and empty hulls.

Dump, scrub and refill birdbaths at least once a week.

Clear gutters and direct rainwater runoff away from house foundations.

Tools, equipment and supplies:

Inventory, clean, disinfect, restock, and store seed-starting and potting supplies.

Maintain fall/winter equipment and replace or repair as needed. Store cleaned and repaired summer tools.

Safety:

Photograph storm damage before clearing or repairing for insurance claims and file promptly.

Avoid tick and mosquito bites.

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