By Sarina Dellinger
For the Salisbury Post

The chilly winter days are a great time to tackle indoor activities in preparation for spring. By mid-February, we will begin sowing the seeds for the summer entrance display. Winter also allows for time to take inventory of your gardening tools. Taking time to sharpen, tune up and replace tools in the winter eases the transition into busier times. I have been spending some time this winter looking back at last year’s garden photos, accomplishments and bloom lists. Writing down my daily task accomplishments and tracking blooms in the park gives great information to look back on and plan for the season ahead. Over time collecting the bloom data will help us better track and share when certain plants will look their best. In addition to looking into your own garden, winter is a great time to brush up on knowledge. I encourage you to take time to view webinars or read new horticultural publications.

Gardening continues in the winter outdoors, too. Winter is the best time to spread compost or mulch without suffering through the humidity and heat of the other seasons. It’s also a great time to tackle other heavy lifting projects like moving stones, starting new garden beds and pruning projects. Across Hurley Park’s 18 acres, we will be tackling rejuvenation pruning projects, pruning of low limbs for safety and shaping shrubs.

Consider visiting the park on a warmer winter day. The Lenten roses have started peeking their flower buds above last year’s foliage. The winter jasmine in the Daniel Worth Wright Garden are bringing cheery yellow blooms into the winter landscape. Songbirds fluttering around are easily seen perched in bare trees or delighting in seeds and berries across the park. The hybrid witchhazel “Pallida” shrub in Priscilla’s Fragrance Garden catches the eye with its spidery yellow blooms. The winter landscape, adorned with delicate blooms and sparse foliage, reminds us to look closer for beauty while also signaling a promising sign of the arrival of spring.

We hope to see you in the park soon. In the meantime, follow our Facebook or Instagram @HurleyParkNC for updates about the park. If you have any additional questions, please give us a call at 704-638-5298.

Sarina Dellinger is public garden supervisor for Salisbury Parks and Rec.