Practical guide · my garden in Bran
Protecting the garden in winter
Hilling up, containers, frost cloth and snow as an ally
In this guide
In the mountains, the garden goes dormant from November, but the weather doesn’t always give it peace. Early snowfalls, blizzards and frosts that return after a few mild days have taught me to prepare plants in good time, without wrapping them up too early.
Not all of them need the same care. Some get through winter without help, others need protection at the base, and tender ones have to be moved under cover. What follows starts from my experience in Bran, Brașov County, Romania, supplemented by general guidelines that need to be adapted to each plant and each spot.
My principle: I don’t try to keep plants “warm,” but to shield them from extremes, from wind and from repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
Hilling up roses
With more than 80 bushes in the collection, hilling up is one of the fall tasks that takes me the most time. I don’t tie it to a fixed date: I watch for the weather cooling and the plants going dormant, after the first frosts, before the ground becomes impossible to work.
The mound protects the base of the bush from strong swings in temperature.
For the roses that need this protection, I build a mound about 20–30 cm (8–12 in) high, using loose, well-drained soil, possibly mixed with mature compost. I cover the base of the canes and the graft union, if it’s exposed. I bring the material from elsewhere; I don’t dig next to the bush, where I could expose the roots.
Dry leaves can add to the protection, but I don’t consider them equivalent to a mound of soil: they can blow away or pack down. I remove diseased leaves from around the bushes. On climbing roses, tying the canes to their support is just as important as protecting the base.
How much protection a rose needs depends on the variety and the exposure. A rose that has come through a few winters well in my garden doesn’t, by that alone, offer a guarantee for every garden.
Useful reading: UNH Extension — Winter Protection of Roses
Protecting containers
In containers, roots are more exposed to cold than in the ground. Even a species that’s hardy in the garden can suffer when the whole volume of potting mix freezes.
I group the containers in a spot sheltered from wind and make sure water can drain. Low pot feet are useful where they stop water from pooling under the containers. I wrap the outside of the pots in insulating material, without blocking the drainage holes; bubble wrap is for the container, not for sealing in the foliage.
Tender plants need a space suited to the species. A porch or garage can help only if the minimum temperature there is high enough. For plants that keep their leaves, light matters too.
Watering is reduced but doesn’t automatically stop: the potting mix needs checking regularly, without being kept soggy.
Useful reading: RHS — Preventing winter damage
Frost cloth, used in moderation
Horticultural frost cloth can reduce the effects of wind and offer a small thermal advantage. But it doesn’t turn a tender plant into one that can handle mountain frost. How well it works depends on the material, how it’s put up and how long the cold lasts.
I use it for young plants and exposed specimens, laid loosely and well secured so it doesn’t rub the shoots. On fragile plants, a frame can hold the weight of the material off the branches.
Protection is worth checking after blizzards and in wet spells. In spring it’s removed according to the weather, keeping the option of covering the plants again if late frosts are forecast.
Useful reading: RHS — Fleece and crop covers
Snow, a trusty ally
Snow changes the look of the garden, but also the way cold reaches the soil. A loose layer can insulate roots and buds at ground level. I leave it on the beds, without packing it down.
Wet, heavy snow piled on branches is a different story. It’s removed gently while it can still be moved, without hitting or jerking. Ice stuck to branches isn’t forced off.
Snow helps, but it isn’t reliable protection every winter: it may be missing just when the cold arrives.
Tender plants, each with its own rule
Hydrangeas
On hydrangeas that bloom on old wood, hard pruning can remove next season’s flower buds. I keep the stems over winter; the dry flower heads can offer some protection to the buds below.
Not all hydrangeas follow the same rule. Hydrangea paniculata and Hydrangea arborescens bloom on the current year’s growth. Before pruning, identifying the species matters more than a general recommendation for “hydrangeas.” Protecting the roots doesn’t guarantee that the buds on the stems survive.
Useful reading: RHS — Hydrangea pruning
Clematis
A layer of mulch can protect the root zone, but with clematis too you need to know the plant. There are hardy species and more tender ones; the top growth can’t be ignored, especially on those that bloom on stems kept from the previous year.
Pruning is done according to the clematis’s group, not just because fall has arrived.
Useful reading: RHS — Growing clematis
Newcomers
Ornamental salvia, gaura (Oenothera lindheimeri) and the snapdragons left over winter I watch separately in their first season. I don’t yet have enough history of how they behave here.
For me, these are experiments, not promises of hardiness. A plant surviving in a sheltered corner doesn’t mean it will get through winter as well in a wet or exposed spot.
Tender bulbs and tubers
It’s also worth distinguishing between hardy bulbs planted in fall and frost-tender plants like dahlias. For the latter, lifting them and storing them in a frost-free space can be safer than overwintering under mulch in a mountain garden. Storage conditions are chosen by species.
Useful reading: RHS — Overwintering tender plants
Cold isn’t the only risk
On my difficult soil, winter protection also starts with the question: where does the water go?
A thick covering doesn’t fix poor drainage. Mulch shouldn’t be piled against trunks or over the center of plants sensitive to moisture. Protection has to take into account both frost and the risk of rot.
Useful reading: RHS — Mulches and mulching
In spring, protection comes off patiently
The first sunny days don’t mean winter is over. Protection is removed gradually, after the thaw and depending on the forecast, without letting new shoots grow under coverings for long.
In the mountains, preparing for winter doesn’t mean dressing every plant the same way, but understanding what each one needs. I can’t prevent every loss. But I can offer shelter where it matters and give the garden the time to get through the cold season at its own pace.