Yarden (Yard + Garden) Notes for February 2019

Sponsored by Thomasville Garden Club Inc.

FEBRUARY WEATHER

The polar vortex this week produced record cold temperatures in the North and Midwest. We experienced low temperatures, also, but they did not drop quite as low as forecast, fortunately. Weather.com predicts that the East and South will experience below-average temperatures through March and that February will be the “harshest” month, with cold temperatures and storms.

Weatherspark.com says that our “cold season” normally lasts until February 18. Sources list our last frost/freeze date as early as March 5 and as late as March 21. Dave’s Garden says that we will “almost certainly” always receive frost through February 13.

UGA’S Extension Office displayed a frost date map from Agroclimate online. It illustrates the “upward trend in temperature over time.” It now shows our last frost date to be around February 22.

U.S.climatedata.com lists February’s average daily high temperature as 68 degrees and low as 47 degrees. According to www.homefacts.com, our average temperature for the month is 51.9 degrees.

SPECIAL FEBRUARY DATES

Saturday, February 2 (today) — Groundhog Day. Surprisingly, this day is actually an astronomical holiday. It is a seasonal festival that is related to the movement of Earth around the sun. As Earth moves between the solstices and equinoxes, Groundhog Day is more or less half-way between the December solstice and the March equinox. It is the first of our 4 “cross-quarter days” of the year. (You might recall that I wrote about the last cross-quarter day of the year in my October 2018 column when I discussed the history of All Hallows’ Eve.)

On Groundhog Day, Pennsylvania’s famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, is enticed out of his lair to look for his shadow. If he sees it, six more weeks of winter are in store for us; if he cannot see his shadow, we are supposed to have an early spring. We all know that it cannot be sunny or cloudy everywhere at the same time; as a result, many towns have their own local groundhog prognosticator and their own traditions.

Just a note about Phil’s forecasts: I am sad to report that NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center says they have shown no reliability in recent years and the National Geographic Society studied Phil’s predictions and found him right only one-third of the time.

Two history tidbits: 1) According to EarthSky, Groundhog Day came to be an American holiday because our ancestors from Great Britain and Germany celebrated Candlemas Day and upon that day, the people used a hedgehog or a badger to look for his shadow. An old English rhyme says, “If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another flight. But if it be dark with clouds and rain, winter is gone and will not come again.”

2) Since 1887, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club has held a public celebration of Groundhog Day. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, is where Bill Murray and gang made the movie, “Groundhog Day.”

Tuesday, February 5 — Lunar New Year. This is the start of a year with months coordinated strictly by the cycles of the moon. It is the beginning of the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, the most important of the all traditional Chinese holidays.

Friday, February 8 — approximate first date that Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve expects to be open for viewing these remarkable blooms. Did you know that this is the most extensive site of trout lilies in the world? Generally, days of operation are Wednesday and Friday through Sunday from noon until 5:30 pm. Contact Beth Grant at bethgrant@bellsouth.net or call (229) 227-9844; also, you can go online to  www.wolfcreektroutlilypreserve.org. If you have not seen these amazing marvels of nature, you have missed a unique and amazing sight.

Friday, February 15 — Arbor Day in Georgia. In 1941, the Georgia General Assembly selected the third Friday in February as our annual State Arbor Day. Trees are hard workers in our environment. Trees can make home environments cooler in summer, remove pollution, absorb rainwater to extend water availability into dry months when it is needed and are home to a wealth of wildlife. Almost every city in our country has recorded a drop in the number of trees because of development, pollution, disease and neglect. Become an advocate for trees in your neighborhood, city and state. Our children deserve our best efforts to ensure a beautiful and healthy world for future generations. Every year, Thomasville Garden Club Inc. follows its own advice by planting a tree in a public place in our community during a program that is free and open to everyone. Be on the look-out for information in the newspaper regarding this year’s presentation.

Source of pride: Georgia has more working forests than any other state – 22 million acres. They help clean the air and water and provide habitat for hundreds of species of wildlife. They are a $32-billion resource, providing products and jobs for thousands of people.

Advance notice: Saturday, March 16 – Birdsong’s Old Timey Plant Sale. More information next month.

TWO MORE SOURCES OF GEORGIA PRIDE

I was pleased to read in the Times-Enterprise’s Ag Scene about a 2018 Thomas County Central High School graduate, Brentley Odom, who won a National Future Farmers of America Award in managing and improving the environment and natural resources. Congratulations, Brentley.

Ag Scene also ran a story about University of Georgia professor, Scott NeSmith, who has created two new blueberry varieties that have “gone global.” These two blueberry varieties grow well not only in Southeast USA but also in South Africa. Interestingly, the African blueberries will not compete directly with Georgia’s because they produce berries at different times. Dr. NeSmith is the head of the UGA blueberry-breeding program and has patented 21 new blueberry varieties since 1998. Bravo, Dr. NeSmith.

IN BLOOM

Taiwan cherries have been in bloom for several weeks and are lovely sights. Camellias are still blooming, as are pansies and violas.

Look for blooms on your Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis) and winter daphne (Daphne odorum). Lenten rose supplies year-round interest as an evergreen groundcover. Winter daphne has fragrant flowers that bloom in winter and early spring. A winter daphne shrub planted near your home’s entrance or front walkway will provide much pleasure for your senses.

TO DO

If you want color and can’t wait until spring, consider planting petunias, dianthus, snapdragons or sweet alyssum. These can be planted in pots or in the ground and should provide color until May.

Plant nasturtiums now. Perennial nasturtiums are hardy in our agricultural zone. Nasturtiums are easy to grow and will delight you with their rich, jewel-toned flowers. There are bushy plants for gardeners who want colorful borders, trailing plants for containers and walls, and plants that are climbers for height. The blossoms and leaves are edible and add a nice peppery tang to salads and enhance the appearance of desserts. I have grown nasturtiums for decades but only recently learned that the seed pods are edible, too, and can be used as a substitute for capers, which I enjoy using frequently.

You can plant such spring flowering perennials as alstroemeria, bleeding heart, coral bells, campanula, euryops (flowering plants in the sunflower family, they look like daisies) and perennial dianthus.

Bare root roses, shade trees and vines may still be planted this month.

If ground covers were not planted in fall, they may be planted in February. Ground covers may be used where lawns are not practical or to simply add interest.

Finish spraying of fruit trees and roses in early February. And remember to spray the mulch area around roses to help prevent the spread of disease.

Prune diseased and broken limbs from shade and fruit trees this month.

Roses should have long canes shortened to prevent whipping and consequently thorn damage to cane. However, delay further pruning of roses until after they bloom.

Crepe myrtles should be pruned this month so they will be able to set buds in the spring for summer blooming — but please do not resort to “crepe murder!” Remove sprouts near the ground and along the trunks and remove any interior branches that are growing horizontally across the inside of the crepe myrtle. Leave the branches that are growing upwards or leaning towards the outside. Crape myrtles flower on new growth of the season, so you can prune plants during the late winter or early spring but it must be before growth begins or you will experience loss of flower buds. Cuttings of crepe myrtle may be made in February, too. These should be made from last summer’s growth and should be 6 to 8 inches in length. Insert into well-drained soil. By May they should have taken root.

Deciduous shrubs and trees are still dormant enough to transplant this month; once the buds have begun to swell, it will be too late.

Trees and shrubs in containers need to be repotted or root pruned every three to five years in the spring. They need to be top-dressed each spring before new growth starts.

FEBRUARY QUOTE

Here is the second quote from my old list.

For the garden of your daily living, plant four rows of squash:

1. Squash gossip

2. Squash indifference

3. Squash grumbling

4. Squash selfishness

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 Helen Huddleston at 200-7295 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 Julia Singletary at 226-5291 (the Garden Center telephone number) or any current member. You may contact Carla Inman at (229) 403-6048 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 the website at  www.thomasvillegardenclub.org and find us on Facebook.