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| It's time to start planning for your garden! |
Even though it's still January, I have to admit I’m already feeling the itch to start doing some work around the yard, a sentiment I normally don’t feel until February at some point. If you’re also beginning to feel the “need to weed” or get gardening, here are some recommendations to keep you busy without getting ahead of yourself.
First, let me offer a word of caution. Last year we enjoyed
a particularly mild, pleasant January, only to get walloped in February by two
snowy, icy winter storms and bitter cold. So, as much as I look forward to the
signs of spring and the beautiful color the new season brings, I’m going to
hold off from doing too much outdoors this month.
That said, January is
a great time for many of the less-glamorous but equally important aspects of
gardening. One of the best ways you can ensure an enjoyable year ahead is by
taking good care of your gardening tools. If it’s been awhile since you’ve
sharpened your shovels and pruners—or, if you’ve never done so—you’ll be amazed
at the difference a sharp tool can make. Use a bastard file (available at Vander Giessen's) to put an edge on
your shovels and take a sharpening stone to your pruner. With a little bit of
work, you’ll enjoy effortless digging, chopping and pruning all season long.
A second gardening task you can do this month is to begin
planning your vegetable garden for the coming year. By early February, we'll have our seed racks stocked for the coming season, and now is a great time to start mapping out what
you’ll plant and where. Before your mind gets too focused on the upcoming year,
take stock of what grew well last year, what you wish you had grown and what
might need to be replaced with something new in your garden plot. With so many
varieties of just about every major vegetable and herb available, I make an
effort to try something new each year. Don’t be afraid to try new things in the
coming year—chances are, you’ll find some must-have plants you wonder how
you’ve ever done without!
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| 'Flaming Squirrel' seed sauce keeps birds happy and squirrels away! |
Third, January is a great time to take care of the most
abundant garden life in winter—birds! While winter is a dormant season for most
plants, birds are as active as ever and would be thankful for a little bit of
seed to keep them well-fed. To keep squirrels at bay, treat your bird seed with
a pepper-based sauce every few fill-ups. A product like Coles Flaming Squirrel
seed sauce is an easy-to-use, bird-friendly additive (who knew they actually
like spicy food?!) that will deter squirrels or other rodents. Right now, our entire selection of bird supplies is on sale, so stop in!
Finally, if your spring itch is too difficult to not scratch,
there are some plants you can begin to enjoy already this month. ‘Kramer’s
Rote’ (also known as ‘Kramer’s Red’) heather, blooming now, can be added to a
container planting on your porch for a splash of deep rose-pink. Enjoy it in a
pot until it finishes blooming in April and then move it to a flowerbed for winter-long
color for years to come. Several varieties of hellebore—as I wrote about lastmonth—are in bloom now with many more varieties ready to bloom soon. And of
course, primroses are now in stock at Vander Giessen's as well.
As we enjoy another mild western Washington winter, make the
most of the slower pace and begin to prepare for the season of gardening
upcoming. Happy New Year!
