Warming temperatures at the western U.S. are calling for delicious garden developments such as artichokes, blackberries and persimmons. Whilst planning for spring, for all those enjoy some planting. From the American Southwest, experiment prune your shrubs in preparation for new expansion and with planting seeds inside, and at the Southeast, trimming your vines. Here’s what to do in February in the U.S., region by region.
Find your February backyard checklist:
California | Central Plains | Great Lakes | Mid-Atlantic | Northeast | Pacific Northwest | Rocky Mountains | Southeast | Southwest | Texas
The New York Botanical Garden
California. “Artichoke is perfect for eating in late winter and early spring along the foggy California shore,” writes California backyard editor Bill Marken. “Now is also a fantastic time to begin your own. Away from the shore, expect your chokes to make dry and tough eating, but the plant is, shall we say, an intriguing addition to a vegetable garden or even a flower border. It develops to a dramatic, if sprawly, gray-green plant in a growing season.”
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Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens
Central Plains. “Watch for appearing blooms,” writes garden adviser Benjamin Vogt. “Here in zone 5a, crocuses will be making an appearance at the close of the month. I have countless put in my lawn. This fall, Can you plant any? They will spread slowly each year, eventually giving you a late-winter lawn your neighbors will envy. They are also one of the first pollen and nectar plants for insects that are ahead of the game.”
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Barbara Pintozzi
Great Lakes. “Gardeners itching to do something out in the backyard can sharpen up the pruners,” writes garden coach Barbara Pintozzi. “February is the ideal time to shape up dormant woody plants. Without foliage, the crossing branches of the crabapple tree (Malus x ‘Prairiefire’) are clearly observable, which makes pruning much easier.”
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Amy Renea
Mid-Atlantic. “I like to plant in my pantry just about anything that crosses my path in the winter,” writes Amy Renea. “A popular are the tops of pineapples! Chopped off like ordinary and implanted, these pineapple heads will perish, then regrow into a pretty houseplant.”
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Paintbox Garden
Northeast. “Branches, bark and berries contrast with evergreens to provide winter gardens visual punch,” writes Vermont landscape designer Charlotte Albers. “Among the best crops to grow for wildlife and winter color is winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata), a U.S. native that’s greatly valued in the home landscape because of its red berries.”
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Paintbox Garden
Pacific Northwest. “Salad greens are simple to begin now in an unheated greenhouse, with a layer of row cover for protection on specially frosty nights or beneath hoops out,” says Washington container garden designer Karen Chapman. “These greens create an excellent cut-and-come-again crop and taste a lot better when they go from backyard to table in only minutes.”
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Pendleton Design Management
Rocky Mountains. “Prune deciduous trees and shrubs while it’s easy to see the branching structure,” advises Colorado landscape designer Jocelyn H. Chilvers. “Remove any dead or diseased branches and any which are crossed. Lightly shape the plant form — just as needed — by cutting one branch at a time with the appropriate instrument: loppers, pruners or saw.”
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Gardening with Confidence®
Southeast. “If your vines have gotten out of hand, late winter is a fantastic time to tame them” suggests North Carolina gardener Helen Yoest. “Cut back wisteria, Virginia creeper, ivy and Japanese honeysuckle.”
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Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting
Southwest. “Were you aware that many household items make great containers to start seeds inside?” Inquires horticulturalist Noelle Johnson. “Try using toilet paper rolls, cut in half, cardboard coffee sleeves as well as eggshells. After the danger of frost has passed, only plant your seedlings, biodegradable container and all, at the floor .”
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Texas. “Establish fruit trees and plants,” writes garden designer Jenny Peterson. “Blackberries, dewberries, grapes, figs, pears, persimmons, strawberries and pomegranates can be planted now, but make sure you choose the varieties which are best suited for your particular area.”
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