YARDEN” (YARD + GARDEN)

NOTES FOR JANUARY 2020

Sponsored by Thomasville Garden Club Inc.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, DEAR READERS.

Thomasville Garden Club Inc. and I hope that 2020 will bring peace, good health, prosperity and, of course, the joy of yardening to all. You might think the last hope is frivolous but it most certainly is not. I keep reading more and more reports on the tremendous and varied benefits of yardening — many of which I have passed along and will continue to pass along to you.

JANUARY WEATHER

January brings winter to Thomasville; it is typically our coldest month. Temperatures can vary widely, from hard freezes to the 80s. However, more typical are lows in the 30s or 40s and highs in the 50s or 60s. In January, our average winter high and low temperatures are 63 degrees and 39 degrees, respectively. The internet says that the coldest day of the year is often on either January 6 or 17.

January brings an average of 10.5 hours of daylight per day. We usually receive an adequate amount of rainfall to prevent the need for much supplemental irrigation. On average, precipitation amounts to about 4.8 inches.

SPECIAL “YARDEN” DATE

January 5 — National Bird Day, annually. This is one of several designated holidays celebrating birds. The purposes of National Bird Day are to promote avian awareness and conservation and to increase public support for the welfare of wild and captive birds. Its website states that there are approximately 10,000 species of birds. Bird lovers and nature lovers across the country celebrate through birdwatching, studying birds, educating others.

Birds are some of the most attractive creatures on earth but their beauty is not limited to their looks. Bird songs are among nature’s most amazingly beautiful sounds. Here is some information that I hope you will find interesting: Birds sing for two two main reasons: to mark territories and to attract a mate for nesting. Female birds often choose their mates based on both visual and vocal cues.

Birds are especially active in the morning or evening and during nesting season. Each bird species typically has its own unique song. That allows an individual bird to hear a song and recognize whether the singer is from its own species.

Also, many North American birds migrate seasonally instead of remaining in one place all year. As they fly south in the fall, they make little “contact calls or chip notes” in order to stay in touch with each other.

Often, only male birds sing, but in some species, both males and females sing. Some birds do not sing at all, such as vultures and storks which can barely produce any sound, much less anything that sounds musical enough to call a song.

IN FLOWER

Peggy Turner, a member of Rambler Rose Garden Club, has given me permission to share photos taken after the cold snap which began turning her weeping maples. Aren’t they stunningly beautiful?

On our trips to and from Tallahassee via the Thomasville Road, we have been enjoying the flowers blooming in the medians. They are a colorful, cheerful sight; several miles of pink and white coreopsis. I had to stop to photograph them. Unfortunately, the pictures do not do justice to them. I hope you have had the opportunity to see them yourselves.

Many other plants are in flower now. Especially noticeable are our gorgeous camellias. Sasanqua camellias start blooming in early fall and the japonicas bloom a bit later. Japonicas are the large, waxy, showy ones that are our famous “winter wonders.” All camellias are evergreen and require little care. In fact, camellias have been listed in professional nursery publications as fine xeriscape plants. (The term “xeriscape” refers to landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental irrigation.)

It is not unusual for a single camellia plant to have several different colors or even different forms. There are thousands of varieties and new ones are named every year. Some are developed from seedlings; others may just appear as “sports” (mutations). Several varieties are well-known for sporting. Tomorrow and Betty Sheffield varieties, which are camellias that were developed right here in Thomasville, are among them.

January is the best time for planting new camellias. Now, while they are in flower, is the perfect time to select your plants.

In addition to camellias, look for Japanese magnolias, pansies, redbuds, red buckeyes, red maples, snowdrops (with a little green dot on their petals), Taiwan cherry treesand winter Jasmine. Spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips can be emerging this month, too.

TO DO

January is a good month in which to evaluate your yarden. Without the growing season’s unrelenting chores, you can take time to see what is working, what is not and what might be needed. Because this is the off-season at nurseries and garden centers, their personnel generally have much more time now for individualized attention and assistance. Consider planting a few new varieties along with the old favorites.

Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants can be started indoors right now. Then, around March 11, you should start watching the weather forecast and as soon as no frost is forecast, you can transplant them into the ground.

Here a few other suggestions for seeds you can sow indoors for transplant later: basil, begonias, delphiniums, chili peppers, coleus, dahlias, sweet peas, Iceland poppies and petunias. Early sowing will require patience. Low light levels and high temperatures indoors can produce weak seedlings. Choose a bright warm window sill where the temperature will remain fairly steady. Sow the seeds even more thinly than usual to discourage overcrowding. Check the seedlings every day.

Onion starts and potatoes can be planted around January 15. Sow the seeds of sugar snap and English peas at the same time.

Other spring vegetables to plant this month are asparagus, cabbage, carrots, lettuce and mustard.

If you were the lucky recipient of a blooming plant in December, be sure to follow the instructions that came with it to ensure its survival. Keep tender plants like amaryllis and kalanchoe indoors in a well-lighted area; poinsettias need indirect light. Water your plant when the soil feels dry to the touch.

If you bought a living Christmas tree this year, move it outside. Put it in partial shade at first to let it harden off, then move it into full sun in a week or two. Rinse off the foliage and water it thoroughly.

If you have some time this month, or anytime this winter, paint the handles of your garden tools a bright color, like florescent red, orange or purple. This will not only preserve the wood but prevent the problem that I invariably have: losing tools in my yarden when I lay them down for a few minutes.

By the way, I have learned that if you find an unplanted bag of bulbs, it is better to plant them now and take the chance that they’ll do something than to lose them in the garage, cupboard, closet or wherever you found them.

MY OWN JANUARY QUOTE

Take pleasure in the sight of our marvelous camellias and other winter flowers as you go about your days this month, remembering that in many parts of the U.S.A., nature is in its dormant stage and growing things are not nearly as lovely as they are here — in fact, they are pretty much nonexistent.

Pat Pankey writes this column for Thomasville Garden Club Inc. as a service to the community. Thomasville Garden Club Inc. welcomes new members. If you are interested, please contact Membership Chair Julie Feinberg at (229) 224-5771 or any current member. The Garden Center has a library of books about gardening that are available not only to garden club members but also to the general public. To access the library or to visit the Garden Center, please contact Caroline Flowers (229) 200-9197 or any current member. You may contact Linda and Joe Tarver (229) 403-1187 if you are interested in renting the Garden Center for an event. The Garden Center is always open to the public on the Wednesday before the first Friday of every month, September through May. Please visit our website at www.thomasvillegardenclub.org and find us on Facebook.