You
may not believe it by looking out the window but Spring is just
around the corner. This is a month of weather extremes and oddly,
the occasional snow or ice storm is prone to happen in early February.
But toward the end of the month, things begin to look brighter.
There is life in the garden after all and you can begin to see it
when warm days bring on swelling buds on shrubs and trees, roses
start leafing out and the daffodils and crocus begin to bloom.
February can be awfully frustrating
as well. Early blooming plants rarely have a chance to show off
and if the truth was known, they are probably on the verge of a
breakdown dealing with our erratic weather fluctuations. Every year
I wonder if I will get to see my Star Magnolia in full bloom. I
usually don't but in the rare season when I do, it is an unforgettable
sight.
Plants
of Interest
crocus
daffodils
iris reticulata
snowdrops (leucojum)
forsythia
quince
star magnolia
camellia japonica
mahonia
pansy
hollies
nandina
evergreens
What
to Plant
bare root shrubs
and trees
cool
weather vegetables - Onions, collards, cabbage, spinach,
lettuce.
Chores
fertilizing the pansies
- Your
pansies are probably still blooming and will benefit from a biweekly
application of liquid fertilizer. And, if you have the time, deadhead
the faded blossoms as well.
pruning
- Mid-late
February is usually the best time to prune hybrid tea roses and
summer flowering shrubs such as crape myrtle, chaste tree, rose
of sharon, hibiscus, etc. Trees and evergreens can also be pruned
now.
