female parent Nature may be take a snooze this prison term of year , but that does n’t mean you could . February brings its contribution of challenging job for gardeners , many relating to the weather .
If Charles Percy Snow cover is faint in your field , you may need to add together extra mulch , such as a thick level of straw or evergreen plant branches , to protect landscape plants . Just make certain you do n’t put straw around woody plants if mouse are nearby as they ’ll nest in the straw and strip the bark off the plants , which often result in the last of plants . You also can place wooden teepee over precious perennials or windbreaks around tree and shrubs for aegis .
If snow is heavy , keep your roof raked between snow storms to prevent problems with ice build up that may not only damage the cap but the landscape plant growing under the eaves . When skim the cap , try not to pull that lode of snow right away onto landscape flora below the eves as the force of the fall snowfall can squelch plants and wear ramification unless already cover by a mysterious layer of natural snowfall . Again , teepee - shaped wooden bod may be your good protection .
To prevent harm to plants from the settling snow , mildly scoop the snow away from the plant with a shovel . Then , with gloved hand , carefully remove the snow from the branch .
When shoveling your walk and private road , put the snowfall on your perennial plantings as this is a salutary dielectric . Just avoid , if possible , stack several feet of coke on them when plowing since it will take so long to melt in spring . And do n’t deck snow on them if harmful salt is meld in .
make up extra tending to the pauperism of winter birdie . If you are feeding them , crack tributary every few 24-hour interval and fill up as needed . Black oil Lord’s Day flower germ and blanched millet will attract cardinal grosbeak , Spinus tristis , black - cap chickadee , purple finches , white-hot - breast nuthatches , and other Vermont birds to your yard . Corn on the ear , beat out , or check is a favorite of many other species include blue jays and mourning dove . Put out suet bar for the woodpeckers .
Do n’t forget to clean the feeders sporadically as moldy seed can make bird ominous . affluent out quondam seed and junk then scrub with a mixture of water system and chlorine bleach ( one ounce of bleaching agent per gallon of water ) . Rinse well and allow to dry out before adding new seed .
In between cleanings , when fill again hanging feeder , shake to dislodge press seed . Dump out wet clumps of old cum . Sweep hulls off weapons platform feeders day by day .
If potential , provide a source of water for the bird . A heated birdbath is idealistic . Purchase one with an automatic shut - off valve or heating cycling on - off electric switch , which will preclude damage to the birdbath if goes ironic . Use a grounded , three pronged outlet to prevent the possibility of electrocution . deflect birdbath that have an exposed heating plant component as this could cut the birds ’ foot if they land on it . Placing a flat man of shale over the heating element ( even a cover one ) will provide a quick rock for birds to light on to reside or drink and will forbid any inadvertent wound .
To prevent cats , raccoons , squirrels , and other brute from knocking over the birdbath when seek to get a swallow , check that the bathtub is securely situated . If your birdbath has a vacuous base , you could fill up it with Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin to prevent tipping , for example .
This Valentine ’s Day leave the common bouquet of rose , and give your mate or special friend a gift that keeps on giving . Order a rose Dubya from a mail order catalog or your local garden centre with a delivery date at planting meter . A couple of red ones to view are Champlain , one of the Explorer serial out of Canada , which is dauntless in the warmer parts of Vermont , and Mister Lincoln , a classical red hybrid , which is not hardy in most of the country but would make a bully rose and shrub for the time of year . There are many more hardy shrub ones to opt from , so involve the experts at your local full service garden center . Or consider giving your special someone a lilac bush , rhododendron , or other well-fixed - to - develop ornamental shrub ?
For apartment indweller , prefer a flowering potted plant like an azalea or cyclamen . An African violet may be the perfect choice for an office colleague as its compact sizing makes it desirable for a desk or window sill . It also thrives under artificial visible radiation . But whatever you select , be sure to include a carte with education for care .
Of of course , if you prefer to give cut flowers , you are n’t limited to long - stemmed ruby-red roses . Tea roses are a dainty alternative , and a small less expensive if budget is a concern . you may order them in the common Valentine Day coloration plus pick , lavender , and spill the beans .
Or give flowers with a code message . White roses stand for love and ravisher , red ones for passion , and yellow for friendship . Yellow tulips mean you ’re dispiritedly in love . Want to have someone know that you are a orphic admirer ? Then send gardenias , which represent secret passion .
Ask your flower store to produce an arrangement of red , snowy , and pinkish blooms , such as ruby-red tulips , blank carnations , and pink roses , in an attractive vase . Or go for something more exotic , like a bouquet of freesia , alstroemeria , or red tailflower accented with shining green foliage . Just expect to bear a little more for these more strange , out - of - season flowers .
If the recipient is a gardener , say “ Happy Valentine ’s Day ” with a small wicker basket satiate with packets of vegetable seeds , gardening gloves , and other garden - concern token – wrangle markers , for example . Or give a credential for a massage – to be used during planting time after “ garden ” muscles get act for the first prison term since last summer .
Although it ’s still too early to start most seeds indoors – exceptions include begonia and pansy , which take a long fourth dimension to rise – if you ’re in the mood to develop something , institute a mini - orchard on your window sill . Just do n’t be too thwarted if the trees fail to produce good yield . These indoor gardens are more for entertainment than for nutrient .
Plant fresh Malus pumila come in a well - run out soil mix . Water regularly , provide plenty of sunlight , and repot as necessary to accommodate growth . With any fortune , by former summertime your tiny trees should be quick to plant outdoors .
February is also a good sentence to do some cyber - horticulture . The well place to start is with one of the net hunting engines like www . google.com . Just typewrite in your subject area , and select any of the site name to read more on your choose topic . This is a good fashion to instruct about new flowers , fruits , and vegetable ; “ travel ” to many of the mythologic gardens in the world ; or get ideas for your next garden . To learn more about perennials , visit Perry ’s Perennial Pages at hypertext transfer protocol : // www.uvm.edu/~pass/perry/
If you desire to “ talk ” to other gardener , join a treatment list . check out out Garden Spiders Web http : //backyardgardener.com/ where you will not only find link to discussion groups but to plant database , societies and association , and additional Internet resources on gardening .
Other activities for February : make plans now to attend the Vermont Flower Show to be throw the first weekend in March at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center , S. Burlington ; grease one’s palms a young houseplant – something you ’ve never tried to spring up before ; strain up on supplies and hang grow lights for get down seeds next month .
PROTECTING PLANTS AND OTHER Feb GARDENING TIPS
By Dr. Leonard Perry and Lisa Halvorsen n Extension Nursery and Greenhouse Crops Specialist University of Vermont
