February: Starting to burst into color

Narcissus about to "pop"

  It is February and the bulbs are starting to "pop" here in North Georgia. The flowers on my camellia bushes are starting to fade, but the forsythia bush will be all yellow soon! I  love the transformation that starts this time of year.  I would love to have one of every spring-flowering bush in my small suburban yard, but it would look chaotic, I'm sure.

Looking at the greenhouse plants 

  Well, here is what I have been doing the past
weeks.  I have been checking on my greenhouse plants and making sure with nice warm days, the plants have enough water and don't "cook".

new starts from last fall's cuttings

 I still turn on the heater at night when it starts to get lower than 45 degrees.  This "green house" is just plastic wrapped around the posts of our upper deck.  This winter, I just had an outdoor rug over the deck, so the plants received water when it rained, but then I had to make sure they didn't drown! In the Fall, I cut stems off of the plants that I wanted to make more of.  I then took the stems, removed the lower leaves and dipped the stems in rooting hormone.  I made a hole with a chopstick in soil of the container and placed the stem in the hole.  The summer annuals stems I gave extra protection by putting them in my plastic container terrariums.  Most everything has roots now, which is so exciting because now I don't have to buy as many plants to fill the pots and beds!

seed tray in terrarium

tomato seedlings

   I still love using the clear containers taped together as a top and bottom for starting my seeds indoors.  This year I put the seed trays in the containers.  They keep moist and warm by my sliding glass door.  I started different varieties of peppers and tomatoes, lettuce and spinach.  In 2 weeks, the tomatoes were up and growing and the peppers soon after. So easy!  When the seedlings have 2 sets of true leaves, then I will carefully transplant to bigger pots.

Pansies, vinca major, daffadils

   So, here are some things to do for February:

• By seeds and potting soil
• Start summer veggies, like tomatoes and peppers to get a good start before the heat sets in
• When crocus bloom, set out lettuce, cabbage, onions, peas.  Cover on cold nights
• Add lime to azaleas
• Start layering hydrangeas for new plants
• Plant fruiting bushes now.
• Pull mulch away from strawberries and let runners fill in.
• Fertilize spring bulbs after flowering
• pinch back pansies when they get long and leggy: will bush out and new flush of flowers

   I found a book, Sunbelt Gardening: Success in Hot-Weather Climates that helped me understand our Southern climate a bit better.  It talked about the effect of nighttime temperatures, that if there is no respite in high temps, the plants can suffer.  That is why we get tomatoes out early in the South.  It also talked about micro-habitats in your yard and suggested plant 3 of a species in different places and see which on thrives, saying there is a difference between preference (performs best) and tolerance (just survives).  Great read!  Also, Small Gardens: Inspired Plantings for Diminutive Spaces by Becke Davis was great inspiration for garden rooms.   So, keep digging and reading!

African daisy overwintering

February seeds are growing

daffodils

It's February and I'm getting the "bug"!  I feel the call to start digging in the dirt again.  My list keep growing, (especially after pouring over Pintrest), but I'll take it one week at a time. 

So, two weeks ago, I spaded one square of my vegetable garden and sowed some cool season vegetables straight into the soil:  peas, lettuce, carrots and spinach.  We had a drop in temperature, so not sure if I need to re-seed or not.  I was reading up on the temperatures needed to germinate.  The ground needs to stay at 35 degrees for spinach, but peas need air temperature at 60-65 degrees.  So, may need to replant the peas.

pepper seeds starting to sprout

I also got out my clear plastic bins, cleaned them up from last year and filled 2 of them with fresh soil.  I turned the other 2 clear bins upside down and "hinged" them with duct tape to the filled bottoms.  I then added some water to moisten the potting soil.  Finally, I made little ditches with a popsicle stick, sprinkled my seeds and labeled my popsicle sticks.  One "terrarium" is different varieties of tomatoes; the other is different variety of peppers.  They are stacked on top of each other by my sliding glass doors.  After 2 weeks, I have tomato sprouts and peppers just starting to come up!  So excited!  I am trying to remember to turn the boxes every few days, because they bend toward the light and I don't want leaning plants.

tomato sprouts in plastic bin

engraved, flattened spoons markers

Last night I found my spoons that had nicks in them, (because of  slipping down into the kitchen disposal).  I got a hammer and flattened them out and then used my husband's engraving tool to write herb names on them.  They will add charm to my herb pots.  I had been wanting to do that for years and finally got it done.




I also had my first Backyard Gardener's Workshop on Saturday, Feb 18th!  We had 6 attendees with lots of questions.  Talked about how gardening in doing the stuff of tilling, amending Georgian clay, seasons of planting and watering.  I tried to  reassure the ladies to start with a few things so as not to waste their resources and get discouraged.  We did the the seed-starting with the bins they brought.  And I talked about being simply organized, like using an old calender to record when to do what or using a binder to put your garden notes and ideas in.  I tried to keep the information simple and told them to try some things.  If it doesn't work, adjust some things and try again.  I think it was helpful.  Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to do this!  It was fun.  They wanted to know when the next one is!  Good sign.