January- A Month of New Beginnings

Pansies in a pot on back deck

   Well, I guess I "fell off the wagon" in the middle of 2012, when the garden was in the middle of growing and I was working in it!  Sorry to those who kept checking for updates.  But with a New Year, I want to share my journey of what I am reading, learning and doing in my gardens this year.  I hope you will join me.  It is a journey, just like life: circumstances, experiments, some disappointments, but mostly working in faith that things will progress and reaping joy!
  We have had the most mild winter weather for December and January!  It has sent the flowers into confusion!  Shasta Daisies have been trying to bloom and the mums never really killed back!  Some of the early Spring Irises have already bloomed!  So when this cold front comes through, I hope it isn't too damaging.  I have been trimming back things that were trying to grow, hoping that they will be more compact and bushy when true Spring weather comes to stay.  The Narcissus are shooting up and will bloom in a few weeks. Love to see the dots of bright yellow in the yard.

Narcissus sprouting

          Over the months of December and January, I checked out books from my local Library to glean some more wisdom to benefit my Southern garden.  I was inspired by Classic Plant Combinations by David Stuart.  For me, having some ideas to jump off of helps me think about my own combinations.  Another book was The Colors of Provence by Michel Biehn, which inspired me with recipes and drinking in the colors.  I also got some tips from pouring over the Johnny's Seed Catalog and reading up on some new veggies and flowers I might try.

So, here are some January Activities to do this month.

• Now is a good time to order seed for Spring and Summer flowers and veggies
• Layer Forsythia and Hydrangea stems under ground to make roots for new starts
• Prune cool-weather annuals ( dianthus, snapdragons, pansies) and they will put out new flowers in a few weeks.
• Prune summer flowering shrubs ( Butterfly bush, Barberry, Hydrangeas & Crape myrtles)
• Prune and remove above ground portions of perennials,(Shasta Daisies, Canna lilies, mums, Verbena, Lantana) if you haven't already done so.
• Fertilize Spring-flowering bulbs with 20-20-20 fertilizer and Shasta Daisies before they spring up.
• Apply lime (for pinker color) and Epson salts to Hydrangeas
• Plant Asparagus and horseradish, mulch heavily with compost and fertilizer  

HAPPY  PLANNING!