The Methodist Lane Bioswale is covered in a thick white blanket of snow. The trees have dropped their leaves, the bright flowers of summertime have gone to seed, and green vegetation has turned shades of rusty brown and gold. It might not look like it, but this Ocean Friendly Garden is still working hard to boost biodiversity, protect clean water, and create resilient habitat for wildlife.
Snow benefits all types of gardens, not just our bioswale. While on the ground, snow insulates plants from extreme cold temperatures (like the unusual cold weather we have experienced lately), keeping the soil warmer than the air. This helps protect plants and wildlife that burrow in the ground over winter. In areas where there is a freeze and thaw cycle, snow’s insulation also helps prevent plants from heaving out of the ground.
Once the melt begins, moisture from snow generally seeps into the soil more slowly than rain, hydrating plants with less runoff. Our deeply rooted native plants in the bioswale will be ready to soak up the snowmelt in the spring, naturally filtering nutrients and sponging up extra water.
Snow also provides the slow release of atmospheric nutrients picked up in clouds, like nitrogen and phosphorus. These are the same nutrients found in conventional fertilizers, so by moving snow off of hard surfaces and onto landscaped areas, you can help give your plants a boost in the spring (and keep those extra nutrients out of our waterways)!
All of the stems, branches, and bunch grasses poking out of the snow help provide habitat for overwintering native bees and other pollinators, which rely on these plants for shelter. Seeds left on these plant stalks also provide food for birds and other wildlife.
Thank you to our volunteers who steward the bioswales at Methodist Lane and Village Green, and to Piazza Horticultural and Whitmores for the care, expertise, and ongoing maintenance that keep this garden thriving year-round. Winter, spring, summer, or fall—Surfrider's Ocean Friendly Gardens are working for our coasts and communities through every season.
You can help support our bioswale by volunteering at one of our garden workdays (when the weather is warmer!) or becoming a member of Surfrider Eastern Long Island.