Nicotiana ‘Lime Green’ - Illustration by Helen Krayenhoff

Gardener’s Calendar

February Checklist

  • Plant summer flowering bulbs like Begonias, Gladiolus, Lilies and Dahlias.
  • Turn in cover crops or green manure.
  • Finish pruning full-sized fruit trees.
  • Last chance for direct seeding of annuals.
  • Select winter flowering shrubs such as Forsythia, Chaenomeles, and Syringa.
  • Bareroot berries are a bargain: Strawberries, Blueberries, and Raspberries.

March Checklist

  • Herbs are in good supply for early planting. Groom or divide your established plants.
  • As perennials begin growing, protect the new shoots from slugs and snails. Consider evening escargot hunts.
  • Check your watering system for leaks. If automatic, set at low until our weather warms up.
  • You’ll still find an excellent selection of Camellias at the nursery.
  • Start using your compost as surface mulch around shrubs and perennials.