As each gardener is aware of, February is a bittersweet month. Craving to be exterior whereas the backyard is dormant and infrequently snow lined will be miserable for many who spend many of the yr exterior. Nonetheless, February additionally offers a welcome break to atone for duties that the busy season doesn’t enable time to perform.
Prune your dormant bushes and shrubs. When these deciduous vegetation lack foliage, their frames will be clearly seen. Deadwood will be faraway from any tree or shrub; when pruning for form, shrubs flowering on new wooden will be pruned now. For these flowering on previous wooden, wait to prune till after they bloom. For extra info on the right way to prune bushes and shrubs, see our Pruning Suggestions and Methods assortment.
Order your vegetable seeds. March is simply across the nook, and so it’s time to begin annual and vegetable seeds. Get the seed catalogs out and begin buying. This a good time to dream about all the brand new vegetation that may be added to the backyard. Choose Seeds and Floret are nice sources for heirloom reducing flowers. Johnny’s Chosen Seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and Pleased Cat Farm are wonderful sources for heirloom vegetable seeds.
Make a want listing of provides. Take stock of your instruments, pots, plant stakes, and seed-starting provides, and make a listing of what you want or need this spring. Want some inspiration? Learn on right here. Want a compost bin? Store round, or if you’re feeling motivated, discover plans to construct your individual. After discovering what you want, manage your potting shed or storage and also you’ll be able to go for spring.
Plan adjustments to make to your backyard. Take a stroll round your winter backyard and take some notes. A backyard journal is a superb software to save lots of these backyard concepts that you simply would possibly overlook by the point spring is in full swing. What are you able to add for extra winter curiosity? What would you prefer to see in spring and summer season? Even if you’re not a panorama designer, making a tough sketch of your backyard will present a visible for any modifying that may be completed or areas that may be crammed.
Take a category or workshop. Attending a convention, class, workshop, or webinar in particular person or on-line is a superb option to get impressed and community with fellow plantspeople throughout the winter months. Many public gardens and backyard associations have quite a lot of persevering with teaching programs. Within the Mid-Atlantic area, botanical gardens similar to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Sq., Pennsylvania, Mt. Cuba Middle in Hockessin, Delaware, and Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia have fantastic persevering with teaching programs with a big number of courses and workshops. The APGA (American Public Gardens Affiliation) can also be an important useful resource for locating native courses.
Though winter slows on a regular basis exercise within the backyard, there are nonetheless some ways to maintain your thumb inexperienced in February. Whereas not all the time bodily within the backyard, these actions will hold you fascinated by the following gardening season.
—Michele Christiano is a horticulture assistant at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Sq., Pennsylvania.
