“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”— Michael Altshuler

“Nature has undoubtedly mastered the art of winter gardening and even the most experienced gardener can learn from the unrestrained beauty around them.”—Vincent A. Simeone. 

“January is the quietest month in the garden. But just because it looks quiet doesn’t mean that nothing is happening.”—Rosalie Muller Wright 

“The twelve months… Snowy, Flowy, Blowy, Showery, Flowery, Bowery, Hoppy, Croppy, Droppy, Breeze, Sneezy, Freezy.”—George Ellis 

We recently survived a deep freeze but many of plants didn’t. The wintery weather continues to cycle back and forth from warm weeks to cold weeks. But remember, it’s still January and there’s still some cold to come. Leave the deadened parts on your plants for now. They will help buffer the plants from any forthcoming further cold damage in the next few weeks. And, if you were to remove them now, such removal would encourage new growth which could soon be killed. 

As January continues right along and February close by, some basic and simple landscape notes to follow from cold weather to springtime include:

Begin planning your annual and perennial planting list for the spring. Also, transplanting existing perennials and woody plants can continue, at least until the next deep freeze. Managing your roses by planting, pruning or moving them is best in February. And, in February, plan to prune the dead wood from all the flowering and non-flowering plants, and cut hydrangea back to ¾ of their growth. The transplanting season continues for all container plants. Now, all these activities should start about mid-February through early March, unless we experience freezing temps which would delay all efforts.

Bird feeders and bird baths: Be sure to keep your bird feeders filled with bird seed to service all the birds that come your way. Clean any older food left behind from the bird feeder, giving space for fresh food. Also, clean the bird baths and keep sufficient water levels in them to quinch their thirst and allow them to splatter about.

Bird houses: Now is the time to clean out and clean-up your birdhouses. Replace rotted wood, re-paint as needed, and check the stability of the support post. Your birds will thank you later in the season for completing this task and giving them a clean home.

Crape myrtles: You can propagate crape myrtles from hardwood cuttings of last year’s growth. Make the cuttings about six-inches long, and insert in a flat containing a mixture of equal parts of perlite and peat moss. The medium should be well-drained. The cuttings should be rooted and ready to transplant into containers by early summer.

Garden cleanup: Continue removing refuse from lawns, landscape beds and flower areas. Any leaves and dead plants remaining on the ground now will hinder the spring recovery of lawn grasses and perennial flowers. Remove all plant waste to the compost pile, sprinkle it with fertilizer, soak the pile, and turn it over once each week. The compost will be ready to use by early summer. Otherwise, properly dispose or safely burn the debris according to local ordinances.

Greenhouse: This month, sow impatiens, marigolds, scarlet sage (salvia), zinnias, verbena, speedwell, balsam, and coleus in the greenhouse to transplant in the landscape garden after the last spring frost. Coleus, begonias, and geraniums can also be grown from cuttings. Vegetables to sow now for April transplanting include eggplant, bell peppers and tomatoes.

Groundcovers: Place your lawn mower on the highest setting and mow the mondo grass and liriope later in February. This procedure will allow the plants a fresh start at the beginning of the new season. Apply proper mulch to prevent weeds and add to the curb appeal. In establishing new plantings, select the proper plant materials for the host microenvironment whether sun, shade, or a mix.

Knock-out roses: Knock-out roses can be pruned in February (after the middle of the month). They can be pruned to about one foot from the ground level with 5-7 strong canes. New purchases are either in container or bare root packed. Look at the grade (1, 1.5, 2) and select the one most favorable to you. A grade “1” has better quality than a grade “2”, but either works.

Lantana: Lantana can be pruned after the severe weather has passed for the season. They can be pruned to about one foot from the ground level and selecting strong support leaders to start the new generation of growth for the season.

Pets: Continue to monitor the night weather and keep outdoor dog houses warm and clean or bring your outdoor pets inside protecting them from any harsh conditions. They are family and their safety is most important.

Pine cones and sticks: Continue to pick up all pine cones and limb debris from the lawn and landscape bed areas for curb appeal. These items can be used effectively as starter wood for your burn piles and burn barrels.

Valentine’s Day is a good timing benchmark to follow in deciding when to begin your basic pruning of roses and lantana, etc., if and only if, all the severe winter weather has passed. Otherwise, wait a week or so because the intact growth will serve as a buffer to protect the rest of the plant from potential cold damage.

Late February is usually the time for pruning your summer flowering trees and shrubs, such as crape myrtles and knock-out roses. Just be sure that any extremely cold weather is behind us. This is not the time to prune the needle evergreens.

Get prepared for the upcoming hectic pace that will develop throughout all your yard activities in February and March. Enjoy the remainder of this wintery season with warm clothing, a hot beverage, and a smile. You will enjoy the benefits of your labor throughout the seasons to come through curb appeal, area usage and sustainability. Stay warm and have a blessed month!

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9. “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” “But You are a shield around me, O LORD; You bestow glory on me and lift up my head.” Psalm 3:3. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians4:18.