Well, I didn’t get my wished-for “January Thaw” this year, so my daffodils are still not planted. But, I’m not giving up hope. Those daffodils have been living in a box my garage, where it’s been cold enough to give them the chilling time they need, so I am still going to plant them, as soon as the ground thaws enough, and see what comes up in the spring. I’m hopeful they will still put on a show this spring, but if not, there’s always next year.
Jennifer
This month’s issue of Let’s Get Gardening
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I’m glad the temperatures are coming up a little bit. It was hard to getup the enthusiasm for getting outside to do much of anything in the bitter coldwe were experiencing in January. With the slightly warmer temps, I should beable to get a little bit done outside this month. Of course, there’s plenty todo indoors, as well. Here’s what to do both indoors and out this month:
Outdoors:
- On one of our bright, sunny winter days, get out and prune trees and shrubs that need a little taming. Pruning now, when they are dormant, is best for most trees and shrubs – with a few exceptions. Oak trees are best pruned when dormant, to help prevent Oak Wilt, which is spread by beetles that are attracted to fresh wounds in spring and summer.
- I like to wait a little longer to prune my red twig dogwoods, because I like the color pop they provide on dreary winter days. Mine are due for drastic pruning this year. Pruning them down to the ground every two years helps produce the best color and keeps them from getting out of hand.
- Having just told you not to prune early-blooming trees this month, I’m going to give you a reason to prune them a little bit – to force them into bloom in your home. Taking a few branches from cherry, crabapple, flowering dogwood, magnolia, flowering quince, forsythia, honeysuckle, lilac, pussy willow, and red twig dogwood now can give you a little taste of spring while we wait for the real thing.
- While the ground is still pretty frozen, add some mulch to trees, shrubs, and perennials to help keep the soil from the thawing-and-refreezing cycle that can potentially cause damage to roots. We are likely to experience a few freeze-thaw cycles through the remainder of the winter, and this can be harmful to plants.
- If you didn’t get outdoors much last month because you didn’t want to go out in that bitter cold, take advantage of the slightly warmer temperatures this month, and take a walk around your yard to see if there are things you want to do in the spring to make your winter landscape more attractive. Adding something that offers a pop of color when everything is brown or gray can make a big difference in the appeal of your yard during winter.
Speaking of birds, it’s almost time for the Great Backyard Bird Count. This annual event, taking place February 14th through the 17th this year, is a great family-friendly activity that helps to connect people of all ages to the natural world around them, and it can be done either outdoors or from the comfort of your living room (or any other room with a view to the outdoors).- February is National Bird Feeding Month. Keeping feeders full when it’s cold and snowy out can help birds use less of their energy looking for food, reserving that energy for keeping warm. To help you keep your birds happy this month, all Bird Feeders and Bird Food are 20% Off all month long in-store and online.
- Keep bird baths full and thawed all winter long, so that your birds have a good supply of fresh drinking water. A heated birdbath or a deicer in your existing birdbath can make that possible, which can make a huge difference for the birds, when water is so hard to come by.
Indoors:
- Start getting things ready for the gardening season this month. Begin by checking to see what seeds you have left over from last year(or prior years). Many seeds are good for a number of years – the germination rate tends to reduce the longer you’ve had the seeds, but you will likely still get enough of them to sprout to make it worth holding on to seeds from one year to the next. Once you’ve figured out what you have, figure out what you need and go get it. There are few things that make me happier in February than going through seed racks! Find your happy place checking out the seeds at The Garden Mill, or peruse our seed racks virtually at our website.
- February is also a good time to get everything else you need for seed-starting, if you are going to start plants indoors this year. Your checklist should include seed starting mix, pots, working lights, heating mats, and fertilizers. If you’re re-using pots from last year, be sure to disinfect them first, using a 1 to 9 ratio of bleach to hot water and a wire brush.
- Though most flower, vegetable, and herb plants don’t get started indoors until March or later, rosemary and parsley can be start now, since they take quite a while to germinate and then grow to a suitable size for transplanting outside. Celery, leek, and onion seeds can also be started indoors later this month.
- Starting some flowers indoors this month gives them more time to get to transplanting size. It’s also a great way to save money, as seeds and soil generally cost a lot less than perennial plants! Impatiens and pansies can be started from seeds in mid-February.
Read More
More info on all of these tips can be found in our monthly newsletter: Read the full February 2025 issue of Let’s Get Gardening
Happy Gardening!
Join us Saturday, February 8th for
Chocolate Extravaganza!
The fun at The Garden Mill includes a children’s make-and-take event: Children are invited to make a peanut butter & bird seed heart-shaped bird feeder to celebrate Valentine’s Day and National Bird Feeding Month. One per child, while supplies last.
Get 20% off all Bird Feeders and Bird Food, and a free gift with purchase, while supplies last.
And, show us your (Chocolate Extravaganza) Mug, and get a free single-serve packet of gourmet hot chocolate mix, while supplies last.
$10 off any $50 purchase
Expires 2/28/25
Cannot be combined with any other offer.
Not valid on artist consignment items.
Cannot be used to purchase gift certificates.