The month of February could be a little bit of a problem for gardeners within the Pacific Northwest. Throughout this month we frequently have a few of our coldest days, plenty of rain, and some days of snow. When it’s one of many clear, chilly days of this month, bundle up and head outdoors to deal with a couple of of this stuff. Simply keep in mind the place you planted all these bulbs within the fall, and keep away from stepping on super-saturated soils; it could destroy the soil construction and create extra issues down the street.
Go to native nurseries for the perfect choice of bare-root bushes and shrubs. Many native nurseries and backyard facilities carry a terrific choice of decorative and fruiting bushes and shrubs. Naked-root bushes and shrubs are economical and straightforward to move, they usually have a smoother time adjusting to the native soil in your backyard than potted ones. Simply keep in mind to plant your choices as quickly as doable to make sure survival and to keep away from letting roots dry out. When you should retailer them, hold them in moistened sawdust in a cool storage or basement for lower than two days. Some nice and infrequently seen heirloom fruit tree varieties will be discovered at Raintree Nursery. They ship their bushes and shrubs bare-root. When you’re feeling adventuresome, name them to rearrange a go to to their backyard middle, which is in Morton, Washington.
Prune your roses. Late February is the time to prune roses (Rosa spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9) within the Pacific Northwest. Many gardeners use President’s Day as a marker. Make sure to use clear instruments whereas pruning. Learn to prune various kinds of roses right here. If a prized rose specimen is diseased, contemplate eradicating it and changing it with a brand new, more healthy cultivar; if it’s an absolute keeper, clear your blades between every reduce to forestall spreading illness. I’ve had good luck with most of the David Austin roses in my backyard and my purchasers’ gardens. One in all my all-time favorites is the Carding Mill® rose (Rosa ‘AUSwest’, Zones 5–11), which has a tremendous scent and delightful, long-blooming peachy-orange flowers.
Add witch hazels to your backyard. Among the many massive shrubs and small bushes I usually see on my walks this time of 12 months are some fairly massive witch hazels (Hamamelis spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9). Their shiny, cheery blooms are a terrific reminder that spring is coming. February is a good time to pick out witch hazels. There are such a lot of varieties and colours accessible now within the commerce; usually those you can see within the nursery are hybrids of the Chinese language and Japanese witch hazels (Hamamelis mollis and Hamamelis japonica, each Zones 5–8). Some hybrids will hold their leaves on till the brand new spring progress begins; that is known as marcescence. Whereas this isn’t an issue for the witch hazels themselves, it might be an issue for you the gardener to have a transparent view of the blooms. For that cause, it’s greatest to pick out a range in particular person on the nursery whereas the witch hazels are in bloom.
Begin with slug and snail therapies this month if they’ve been an issue previously. The tiniest of slugs will make your hostas (Hosta spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9), lilies (Lilium spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9), and dahlias (Dahlia spp. and cvs., Zones 9–11) appear like Swiss cheese in a short time. I choose utilizing Sluggo. Whereas I don’t usually advocate utilizing pesticides, this is among the greatest ones to cease a whole infestation of slugs and snails. I’ve additionally used one other product, Slug Gone Wool Pellets, with success. Wool pellets swell and develop to create a dense mat that’s irritating to slugs and snails. That is an all-natural product. Month-to-month focused functions of both product are wanted to cease infestations.
Prune your hydrangeas. Be sure to’re conscious of the kind of hydrangea (Hydrangea spp. and cvs., Zones 4–9) you might have in your backyard. Hydrangea pruning strategies fluctuate drastically relying on the species. Incorrect pruning can result in a 12 months with out flowers or—greatest case situation—very late flowers. Easy hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens, Zones 3–9) must be reduce near the bottom to make sure that robust new stems will bloom on new progress in the identical season. Bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla, Zones 5–11) ought to solely be pruned gently, as they bloom on outdated wooden. Take away final 12 months’s flowers, and prune to the primary or second set of buds. Panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata, Zones 3–8) will be pruned to swimsuit the dimensions of the house and can bloom on the present season’s progress. See extra on pruning hydrangeas right here.
—Jason Jorgensen is a panorama designer in Seattle.