January
Begin planning the new years’ annual bed and vegetable garden.
If you have procrastinated on planting your fall bulbs, you still have time. The ideal time to plant spring flowering bulbs is between mid-October and Thanksgiving for best results. Daffodils and tulips will likely still bloom. Muscari or purple hyacinths may not bloom this year, but they will still survive and bloom the next year.
The best time to plant trees and shrubs is during the winter when the plants are completely dormant (December through April). Though selection may be low at home improvement stores, most local nurseries should still have plenty of top quality trees and shrubs on hand.
When pansies foliage starts turning blue they need nutrients. Give them a shot of fertilizer and they will green right up. January /early-February is a great time to pinch off old pansy blooms so that they will be ready to go in March!
Apply pre-emergents to your landscape beds every 90 days. Water it in or apply before a rain for best results. Keep pets away from the freshly applied product for several days. Every weed that produces seed means more trouble next year. Don’t give in to the heat. Control weeds before they go to seed. Do not add weeds with mature seed heads to the compost pile. Many weed seeds can remain viable and germinate next year when the compost is used.
In the event of wet snow, brush it off evergreens as it accumulates, or as soon as possible after the storm. Use a broom in an upward, sweeping motion. Serious damage can be caused by heavy wet snow.
Avoid using salt to melt snow and ice from your walks and driveway, as it can be harmful to your plants and paver/concrete surfaces. Several environmentally friendly products are available at home improvement stores.
Interest plants during this time period:
Winter jasmine, camellia, Lenten rose, snow drops, paper bark maple, twig dogwood, winterberry holly, evergreens and conifers.
