It’s February! Here’s Your Garden To Do List for Zones 6 and Below..
I mean… c’mon. Just sit down.
Leave the blanket on your toes. Keep those gel pens and that garden planner out. Hit play on the Gryffindor fireplace.
If you garden in Zone 6 or colder, February is our Sleepytime tea era. Unless you have a heated greenhouse, an indoor grow-light setup, or you’re planning to cold stratify seeds in the fridge (read this), we’re not doing much.
Garden Tasks You Coouullldd Do in February
OH! I guess you could clean, sharpen, and oil your garden tools.
Very responsible. Gold star behavior.
You could also tackle winter pruning of deciduous trees and shrubs if your fingers can tolerate the cold. The general rule of thumb: winter pruning encourages growth, while summer pruning slows it down. The Chicago Botanic Garden has a solid guide on winter pruning.
Ummmm…Stock up on supplies? Soil, mulch, compost, seed trays; garden centers are quiet this time of year, which means no crowds!
Toward the end of the month, start crawling around the garden with a magnifying lens, searching for the signs of life. (optional)
Clean out the shed?
Turn on the fire pit and see how long you last outside?
Stare meaningfully at the snow and whisper affirmations?
Choose your own adventure.
A Reality Check for Cold-Climate Gardeners
My friends at Gardeners’ World and RHS (damn Brits) are all, “Oh yes, here’s what to start in the garden in February,” and they stick a shovel (sorry! “spade”) in the ground with no problem. And we’re over here staring at five storms worth of snow. Not a Snowdrop. Not a Winter Aconite. Nothing.
Just frozen-ass soil and our perishing hopes and dreams.
But it’s going to be okay, my fellow Zone 6 and below gardening souls. We got through this last year, we can do it again. Bonus: we’re not in January anymore. It might be weak, but it’s a sign of forward momentum. I’ll also accept the tiny ray of hope that is the giant icicle outside my kitchen window finally starting to drip faster.
Not to be too Julie Andrews about it but I suppose everything will look much shinier when the snow melts. When I see the first shoots boop up from the ground, I know that my entire body will feel an elation that will carry me for days. Only the contrast of winter could make that feeling soar. Without it, the excitement would sorta just…hop. Which is cute, but fleeting.
So while we plan and practice patience and quietly sob, I’ll leave you with a big digital hug, because we’re not alone in this.