It’s easy to forget during the dark, cold days of January and February that gardening staff at Washington Square Park are still hard at work every day. There is still plenty to do in the winter months, and thanks to your support, this year there’s three gardeners working year-round at the Park. Head gardener Gui, along with gardener Dwayne and district gardener Tyson, have been hard at work planning, pruning, fencing, and even keeping rodents at bay.

Park gardeners Gui, Tyson, and Dwayne, with Park Administrator George (second from right).

So just what does the staff do when the snow is thick and the days are short? Here’s a rundown of some tasks they are busy with this winter.

Gui is laying plans for the spring rush, summer growing period, and fall wrap-up. He is busy ordering annual and perennial plants with our Park Administrator, reviewing what worked and didn’t from the prior season, determining which nurseries have the desired plants, and keeping it all within budget. He’s also laying out the calendar for the year, making sure everything that is supposed to get accomplished is planned, budgeted and ready to go.

While plants, trees and flowers are not as noticeable this time of year, the dormant period is perfect for pruning stems, raking leaves and spreading mulch. Just as in summer, gardening staff must clear trash and litter that has blown into garden beds every day. And as in all seasons, Gui, Dwayne, and Tyson inspect the Park each day to ensure there are no dangerous tree limbs or surprise items in the flower beds. And winter is the perfect time to add and replace fencing around perennial beds, so that come spring, new plant growth won’t get stepped on.

The winter landscape makes it easier to see rodent burroughs in the Park’s beds. It’s the gardeners who work to keep these unwanted critters at bay, disrupting the burrows with “rat ice.” They’ve been making their way across the Park this winter.

When it snows, it’s all hands on deck clearing paths and keeping the Park ice-free, including the gardening staff. If it’s just too cold for long outdoor sessions, our gardeners might spend some time inside, sorting and cleaning tools, cleaning storage areas and determining what tools are ready for replacement.

It may be cold out there, but Washington Square Park’s gardening staff know that spring is right around the corner. Thankfully, they’ll be ready thanks to all their winter work!