Lots!
February is a great month to begin your garden planning for the coming growing season. I love February for this reason. It is a time for me to dream, do some research, plan and set my plans into motion for the new season. It is also a great time to take inventory of your indoor plants and ones that you overwinter and plants you have propagated for the new season.
Gardening Journal
It’s never too late to start a gardening journal or add to an existing one. All through the year I am thinking of my garden. To keep my thoughts organized I maintain a gardening journal with lots of information in it; what works well in my garden, what doesn’t, references to plants that tweak my interest and a lot more. The one thing I regularly do is make notes on what I would like to do the following year. For instance, I have a Highbush Cranberry (Vurburnum opulus var. americanum). I originally had it planted in an area of partial to complete shade, it was not thriving, so at the end of the season I made a note to move it in the spring to a sunnier spot. Another example, I successfully grew green peppers in a growing bag. I made note of this observation and I will repeat this planting method for next season. Aside from notes in my journal, I have many seed catalogues to peruse and begin to list seeds and or plants I am interested in. This is a good time to review any seeds you have kept from the previous season, are they a go for this season or not? It is exciting to look at all the plants that can be grown in our zone. How exciting to try something new!
Planning Stage
The planning stage cannot be over emphasized. Early days in my gardening career I would get so excited for spring and summer planting, I would go a bit overboard and make grand purchases of items I either had no room for or did not have the proper growing environment to support my purchases. According to experts, planning and sketching your garden layout is paramount. It is important to know as you are planning where your choice of vegetation is best suited in your garden before you start to purchase plants or break ground.
This is where the fun begins! Begin sketching, considering existing trees or other structures that could block the sun. Consider the sunlight patterns in your yard and how your garden changes throughout the seasons. Do you want flowers, vegetables, shrubbery, native plants, trees or a mix? Reflect on last year’s successes and lessons and imagine new possibilities. As February unfolds, take this time to map out your vision. Plants can be costly, so you want to have the biggest and most successful bang for your buck.
Indoor Gardening
February is also the perfect time to think about indoor gardening. This is a great way to stay connected to the earth and keep your green thumb active. You may want to start with growing herbs on your windowsill, like basil, mint, and rosemary, which thrive indoors and can be added as fresh ingredients into your winter meals. If you are looking for some colour in your home, try African violets (Saintpaulia ionantha), Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii) or Flamingo Flower (Anthurium andraeanum). All three are fairly low maintenance and can bring that pop of colour to your home during the grey days of winter.
Propagating Plants Indoors
At the end of summer and through the winter months I take cuttings from plants that I like and can be propagated. Once I have a cutting, I put them into a water holding vessel and let nature do its stuff. Soon roots develop and the plant grows. The propagated plants will be ready to move outdoors when the warm weather begins. Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), Silver Inch plants (Tradescantia zebrina), Geranium (Pelargonium), Coleus (Coleus), Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) and ivy are easy plants to propagate. As a note, most plants can be propagated without much effort. I like adding the propagated plants to my decorative pots scattered throughout my yard, to add depth and texture and visual appeal.
Over Wintering Plants
Even though we live in a cold climate we can garden year round! Most of my plants move from inside during the cold months to the outside during the warm months. Indoor plants love the chance to live outside during the summertime, and they tend to thrive in the warm environment. A note here, the indoor plants that move outdoors will likely double in size by the time they are ready to move back in when the cool weather moves in. Keeping your indoor/outdoor plants healthy over the winter months can be time consuming but well worth the effort.
Composting in the Winter Months
Composting even in winter months can be achieved, albeit challenging at times, especially if your compost container is at the rear of your house. Sometimes it is difficult to trudge through the snow, negotiating ice and even opening the compost bin if your lid has frozen to the container. Composting is a great thing to do and worth the effort. Your garden will thank you for all the wonderful nutrients you are adding to your soil through composting.
Conclusion
February can be the beginning of a new exciting gardening season. If you take advantage of the time spent indoors to reflect on last year’s garden, research new ideas for planting, research new plants, including native species, planning and continue caring for indoor plants, new and old.
Focusing on your gardening plans in February can set a strong foundation for your future summer gardening adventures. So, whether you are a seasoned gardener or a novice, planning ahead now, gives you a positive jump start to a successful gardening months ahead.
About The Author: Pam Bushell
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