Thinking Green Despite All The White
BOSTON (CBS) -- Groundhog's shadow or not, we still have terrible winter weather ahead. But signs of spring are out there - kind of.
The annual New England Grows trade show has moved into the Boston Convention and Expo Center this week. Some 13,000 outdoor and landscape professionals are expected to attend and learn the latest tricks and tips for the upcoming warm weather.
"It's an industry where you have to have a lot of faith that spring will come. And it will, we promise," says the show's executive director, Virginia Wood.
WBZ-TV's Jim Armstrong reports.
When spring arrives, though, the effects of this winter might make you cringe.
"Plow guys are having a tough time figuring out where to put the snow, so you're going to get a lot of lawn damage, shrubs along the side of the driveway," according to Steven Avonti, a landscaper with the Robert Baker company.
"People are going to be in a little bit of a shock for spring," he says.
For starters, "stuff that's three feet tall that's got snow on it and bent all over the place, that's where you're going to get a lot of damage, especially like hedges, arbor vitae, things that fall apart," explains Avonti.
On the other hand, shrubs smaller than 18 inches or so are fine; the snow insulates them and protects them from wild swings in temperature.
Your lawn, though, is not so lucky. Avonti says this spring a lot of us will find out we've got something called "snow mold."
"It's just from the accumulation of snow and ice compacting on the grass, no air movement, no air getting in there. So, they're going to have some problems with the lawns."
One thing you can do now? If you see any shrubs or small trees sagging under the weight of ice and snow, take a broom and gently knock off as much of the excess as you can. The greenery won't bounce back immediately, but you may be helping it recover more quickly.
