Saturday, February 14, 2009
February is full of promise for your garden
Libba Wolfe
Libba Wolfe's column appears twice monthly in Extra.
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February is all in the attitude. It can be a dreary month of finger-drumming anticipation of spring or it can be a productive bonus month for gardeners. I used to wish the time away, but that's never smart. Now I think it's more fun to garden in February than it is in August.
Even if it is bitterly cold, it's easy to suit up and get some work done. I'm always surprised at how much I can get done in just a half-hour. If that's all I can stand, there's a book and a cup of tea for my reward. But if we're enjoying one of those little warm, teaser spells, what could be nicer than a morning in the yard?
No matter how meticulously I've cleaned and raked in the fall, there's always more debris by this time of year. Drifts of leaves and dry perennial stalks litter the borders. Leftover iris foliage curlicues and clumps of day lily leaves add to the dull mess. Getting everything shipshape and scattering some fresh mulch will highlight the green soon to appear.
If you left your tall ornamental grasses standing for the winter, you can think about cutting them back now. Mine starts to come apart about now, and every wind sends brown fronds all over the yard. Might as well take them down.
I ran into a friend last week who said she'd had quite a problem with plant heaving this winter. The combination of wet soil and extremely low temperatures will do it. I've even had some paving rocks come up. Check your plants -- especially the ones you planted last year that aren't fully established. Settle them back in: Usually a few firm toe taps will do it. Make sure the plants get some water and keep an eye on them.
I'm sure somewhere there is an ivy expert who would warn against trimming it this time of year. Pshaw! As far as I can tell, nothing short of a nuclear blast stops ivy. I can get to it in February without trampling spring bulbs, so I'm ripping and pulling and cutting all I can.
I have forsythia bushes with ivy and honeysuckle tangled in the branches. This is the only time of the year I tackle that. I can see what's what and it's not the sweaty, dirty job it is in summer.
If you have late-summer or fall blooming shrubs that need pruning, the end of February is an ideal time to get it done. Dead branches can be cut away any time of the year so take a few extra minutes as long as you have the clippers out. While you're dragging branches to the curb, add all the little sticks that litter the lawn.
While you're working, be on the lookout for plants that need to be moved or yanked out. Take note of holes in the border where you can try something new. It doesn't hurt to head into March with a list of things to do and buy.
When it really is way too ugly to be outside, browse through garden books and make plans for container plant combinations. Or take an inventory of gardening supplies. It is so irritating to be in the middle of a dirty project and realize you've got to wash up for a quick trip to get more fertilizer or potting soil.
Last fall, I found a hand spade in a pile of leaves and a much-loved weeding tool in the compost pile. One of my February chores is to wrap the handles of all my tools with red duct tape. I'm hoping they'll be easier to spot when I lose track of them in the yard.
I'm sorry to sound like a Pollyanna, but I pat myself on the back for any work I get done in February, even if it's a chore I should have done last fall. I told you -- it's all in the attitude. I'm getting head start for 2009.
The best part, though, is that while I'm working outside, I'm noticing swollen buds and tiny green shoots peeking through the cold soil. That's all the incentive I need to get busy. It won't be long now.
