What to Do in the Garden in February

This month can be such a mix of winter weather and false spring, it can make a gardener crazy. Just when a few days of spring-like blue skies and warm temperatures get our hearts beating faster, rainstorms can come crashing back in on us. But let's be thankful for every drop of rain we're getting this year--it's been a long time coming! And let's not let the rains keep us from our gardens! Here's what to focus on this month:

Plan

• Make a list of winter chores that you've yet to accomplish and make a plan of action for getting them done. Prioritize the tasks that must be done when plants are dormant: bare-root planting, transplanting, pruning or spraying.
• Order summer-blooming bulbs from catalogs.
• Make note of areas in the garden that are lacking winter color and consider filling in with winter-blooming natives like ceanothus and manzanita.

What to Do in the Garden in January

I always feel like January is like a reboot of the garden. Time to wipe away whatever didn't work last year or what you may be tired of this year and start fresh. El Nino rains are helping to ease the effects of the drought but they may also be presenting challenges of their own. Let's get busy planning, planting, pruning and more to make this our best garden year!

Plan

• This it the time to think about what you want to accomplish in your garden this year. What problem do you want to solve? What new feature would you like to add? What new plant would you like to try growing? Then take stock of how your garden looks right now--winter is a great time to really see the bones of your garden--and make a plan for how you're going to move closer to having the garden of your dreams.
• If you're going to be growing from seed, you should be reviewing seed catalogs and putting in your orders. But before you order, maybe you better sort through the stock of seeds you already have. Toss out the seed packs that are too old and test the viability of those that are of a questionable age.
• If you still have a lawn, this is a good time to clean and tune-up your lawn mower.
• Shop your local nurseries or mail-order nurseries for bare-root roses and trees.
• Are you seeing areas of soil erosion? Make a note to address these spots by planting groundcovers or taking other action in the spring.

Gardening Flow Chart

To get your gardening year started:

H/T: Coffee for Roses

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Books on Sale

There's a great sale going on this week at the bookshop at Quarto (the parent company of my publisher, Cool Springs Press). You can get California Fruit and Vegetable Gardening for $18.39 (down from the regular price of $22.99) and California Month-by-Month Gardening for $19.99 (regular price $24.99). Plus you can enter the promo code VETS15 to save an additional 30%. Plus, there's free shipping on orders of $50 or more. Lots of other books are on sale so it might be a great time to do some early Christmas shopping! (Promo code expires 11/16/2015.)

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Shopping for "Edibles" at Orchard Nursery #blog #garden

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Talking About Fall Edibles

I had big fun this afternoon at Orchard Nursery in Lafayette picking out edibles for my talk this Saturday morning--like a kid in a candy store! What a great nursery this is! I can't believe I haven't been here before. If you're in the area, please join us on Saturday!

Topic: The Best Edibles for Fall and Winter
When: Saturday, October 17, 10:00 a.m.
Where: Orchard Nursery, 4010 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA

Ohuhu Expandable Garden Hose: Product Review

Who's tired of lugging around heavy rubber hoses to water the garden? I know I am! I've been trying out the Ohuhu expandable garden hose the last few months and you can read my review of it at GardeningProductsReview.com.

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