A Turkish filbert, Corylus colurna, catkins dangle over a pond on a sunny February day in Vancouver.
The Garden Website for February
New: Spring Veggie Gardening
Seed Starting Success - Sowing Inside - Sowing Outside
Spring Lawn Care & Grub Control - Winter Pruning - Geraniums Etc. - Tuberous Begonias - Dahlias
What to Plant - Cloches - Cover Crops -
February Introduction - February Plant Combo - Amanda's Garden Blog - February Garden Chores
February Garden Stars - Plant Police
February Arrangement - Need Help? - For the Tropical Gardener - Plant of the Month: Harry Lauder's Walking Stick
Seed Starting Success - Sowing Inside - Sowing Outside
Spring Lawn Care & Grub Control - Winter Pruning - Geraniums Etc. - Tuberous Begonias - Dahlias
What to Plant - Cloches - Cover Crops -
February Introduction - February Plant Combo - Amanda's Garden Blog - February Garden Chores
February Garden Stars - Plant Police
February Arrangement - Need Help? - For the Tropical Gardener - Plant of the Month: Harry Lauder's Walking Stick
A Japanese apricot, Prunus mume, February flowers.
February Intro
'Ivory Prince' lenten rose doesn't mind the snow. It will perk up soon enough.
Hello Fellow Gardeners!
I’m wondering if we will finally get winter now spring is supposed to be on its way. Due to La Niña, the south coast of British Columbia has benefited from a mild winter with lots of rain… lots and lots of rain. So I am wondering if, like last February, if it will arrive now with freezing temperatures and a dump of the white stuff. Most of the local flora haven’t fully gone dormant yet, especially roses. Not only is their foliage still hanging on, it’s still green and rose buds are patiently waiting to unfurl! Because it’s so mild, early flowering trees are bursting with burgeoning blossoms waiting to pop into action. Trouble is, it’s only February and Old Man Winter may not be done with us yet. I’d be surprised if he was, but that’s the problem living in a temperate climate next to an ocean. Generally weather tends to be mild here on the Pacific Northwest, albeit fickle, as audacious fronts comes in from the South Pacific as well as the arctic. The ‘Pineapple Express’ brings warm, above seasonal temperatures from the south with a fire hose that blasts us with soaking rain – and occurs more often with La Niña's influence. Once it passes, it’s not unusual for a cold arctic front to follow. It’s no wonder plants become confused and gardeners fall to their knees in despair; in fact you may be one of them. If winter does finally arrive here this month, don’t be surprised to hear load sobbing all the way to Albuquerque. When cold fronts occur this time of year, horrified plants abort their flowers. Although flower buds may not reach their full potential, plant roots survive as they have the thermal heat of the earth to keep them warm. However, if plants don’t green up by April, it’s off to the compost bin they go. Whatever the weather is like outside, it’s time to sow some seeds inside. Once again, I shall try to curtail my enthusiasm. I fall prey to visions of colourful flowers and tasty delicious veggies that fill my head. I confess I always succumb to my weakness, which of course are plants (oh and custard tarts!). Cheers and happy sowing! Amanda 
February flowers never fail to impress as it means spring is on its way. Yay!
Prune Your Own Garden
A client learns how to prune her garden.
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If pruning your own plants seems a bit daunting, and you don't know where to start, Amanda will show you how in your own garden! Take the fear and uncertainty out of pruning your trees and shrubs. Your garden will thank you. For more information and to make an appointment click here. 
Last February, while plants were just about to pop, Old Man Winter came to visit with a blast of snow.
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Amanda's Garden Blog & Features
'Anna's Red' lenten rose (Helleborus 'Anna's Red').
Check out my blog on my gardening experiments, trials. tribulations and excursions. Click on the items below to be directed to its page.
To subscribe to my blog click here.
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February Garden Stars
Snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis, spring bulb, 10", full sun to part shade. Plant in fall. Zones 3 to 7.
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Cotton Candy lenten rose, Helleborus x hybridus 'Cotton Candy', herbaceous evergreen perennial, 18" x 2', part shade to shade. Zones 4-8. Click on the pic for more info.
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Buttercup winter hazel,
Corylopsis pauciflora, deciduous shrub, 4 -6', fragrant, full sun to part shade. Zones 6 to 8. Click on the photo for more info.
Dutch Crocus, Crocus vernus: low growing spring flowering corm in Feb, March, sun to part shade. Zones 3 to 8.
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Japanese skimmia, Skimmia japonica, broadleaf evergreen, 3-4' x 4'-5', fragrant flowers, red berries on female plants, shade. Zones 6 to 8. Click on the pic for more info.
Laurustinus viburnum, V. tinus, broadleaf evergreen shrub, 6-12’ tall & wide, clusters of white flowers Feb to April, metallic blue berries. Zones 7 to 9. Click on the pic for more info.
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Lily-of-the-valley shrub, Pieris japonica, broadleaf evergreen, sun to part shade, 9–12’ x 6–8’. Zones 5 to 8. Click on the pic for more info.
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Pussy willow, Salix caprea, shrub or deciduous tree, 12 -25’ x 12-15’, early pollinator plant, moist soils. Zones 4 to 8.
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Charity Oregon grape, Mahonia x media 'Charity', broadleaf evergreen shrub, 10’x5’, sun to part shade. Zones 7 to 9.
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Winter aconite, Eranthis hyemalis, spring bulb, 6", plant in fall, sun to part shade. Zones 3 to 7.
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Variegated winter daphne, Daphne odora 'Aureo-marginata', broadleaf evergreen, 3 - 4' x 2 - 4', part shade, fragrant. Zones 7 to 9.
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Dwarf iris, Iris reticulata, 3 to 5", sun to part shade, spring bulb planted in fall. Zones 5 to 8.
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Himalayan sweetbox, Sarcococca confusa, broadleaf evergreen, 2-5' x 2-6', part shade to shade, fragrant flowers, black berries. Zones 6 to 8. Click on the pic for more info.
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Chinese witch hazel, Hamamelis mollis, 10'-15', fragrant flowers Jan to March, sun to part shade. Zones 5 to 8. Click on the pic for more info.
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Winter Treasure Darley heath, Erica x darleyensis 'Winter Treasure', broadleaf evergreen groundcover, 16"-18", flowers Dec to April, sun to light shade. Zones 5 to 8. Click on the pic for more info.
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Winter camellia, Camellia sasanqua, broadleaf evergreen shrub, fragrant winter flowers, sun to part shade, 6’ to 14’ x 5’ to 7’. Zones 7 to 9. Click on the pic for more info.
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February PLANT COMBO
Holly fern combined with snowdrops surround a shapely Loebner's magnolia .
The shiny green frilly foliage of holly fern (Cyrtomium falcatum) blend effortlessly with the delicate white nodding snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis). Together they form an emerald green and white carpet underneath a Loebner's magnolia (Magnolia x loebneri 'Leonard Messel'). Foliage from the magnolia during the summer, tempers the conditions for the shade loving carpet below.
plant police
This red twig dogwood is in dire need of renewal pruning to spur on fresh new red stems from it's base. Once the branches of red, green, and yellow stemmed dogwood shrubs mature, they become woody, grey and loose their vibrant colours. To make the most of these colourful shrubs, cut off stems once they age. Cut them off at their base and new colourful stems will soon replace them. This is best done during the winter, when the plant is dormant.
All the stems of this red-twig dogwood are young and vibrant as the mature grey stems have been removed.
Seed Starting SuccessSeed & Plant Catalogues: Order now. Click here for the link to catalogues for Canadian gardeners.
It’s relatively easy to grow plants from seed, however, it’s can be a challenge to keep them healthy and vigorous.
Sow the following seeds indoors now to plant outside in February, March & April:
A healthy forest of tomato seedlings.
Sow Outside
Peas and carrots are suitable to sow in early spring.
Sow outside
Sow cool season crops when a handful of soil doesn’t drip water when squeezed and soil temperature is around 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees F). Check seed packets for instructions on when and how to plant. Suitable crops to plant outside now are: peas, celeriac, spinach, leeks, lettuce, cauliflower, onions, cabbage, kale and chard. If slugs, snails and cutworms are a problem in your garden, you can start them inside. For more information on sowing seeds outdoors (direct seeding) click here. 
Mix carrot and radish seeds together then sow directly into the soil where they will grow.
LawnS Spring Care &
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February Garden ChoresClick on any green items below to be redirected.
Frost protective covers are needed for early flowering plants when frost is predicted.
Frost Protection: As plants emerge from their winter sleep, freezing temperatures may injure tender plants such as camellias and dogwoods. Watch for severe frost, especially at night. Protect vulnerable plants with layers of burlap, sheets or other breathable fabric.
Soil Heaving: Be attentive of freezing nighttime temperatures combined with balmy days especially after plants start to grow. Inspect plants, including bulbs, and firm back into the soil if they are dislodged. Winter Mulch Removal: If you protected plants last fall with fall leaves, staw, soil or other winter mulches, remove it gradually as temperatures warm and plants start to grow. Protect Plants & Soil: If you have bare soil without ground covers or mulch, consider adding a 3 inch layer of leaves, straw, wood chips and other organic mulches, once the ground warms up and weeds start to grow. To learn more about mulches click here. 
Now is a good time to divide summer and fall blooming perennials like this black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Little Goldstar’).
Divide perennials: Select those that are overcrowded and/or need rejuvinating. Divide those that bloom from mid-summer to fall, but do it preferably before new growth starts. This includes astilbe, black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia), bee balm (Monarda), cone flowers (Echinacea), coral bells (Heuchera), tickseed (Coreopsis), pinks, carnations (Dianthus) and ornamental grasses.
Cuttings: Take hardwood cuttings from your favorite shrubs and trees this month. To learn more click here. Weed: Dig down and remove all roots. Use a hoe or cultivator to dislodge them. If the seedlings are big enough to gather, do so and discard. 
Keep pulling horsetails as soon as they pop out of the ground.
Horsetails: Persistence pays off when dealing with this invasive weed. Digging only spreads it even more, so just pull it out of the ground as soon as it appears. Be diligent. For more information click here.
Spray fruit trees and other insect and disease prone woody trees & shrubs with dormant oil and lime sulfur combo.
Kill Overwintering Insects & Diseases: If your fruit trees, ornamental cherry trees and other deciduous trees and shrubs are prone to caterpillars, scab and other overwintering insects and diseases, take the time to spray them with a dormant oil & lime sulfur combo. This must be done while they are still dormant, before leaves and flowers appear. Dormant oil kits are available at garden centers and home hardware stores. To learn more about applying dormant oil and lime sulfur, click on more.
Remove brown spotted diseased leaves from lenten roses (Helleborus) and discard. Refrain from using as a mulch and don't compost.
Dead plants? Or are they? Even if all the stems and leaves look unresponsive, their roots may still be alive. Wait until late late March or April, and if there are still no signs of life while everything else is growing to beat the band, then it’s time to send it to the compost pile.
Spring Bulbs: Watch out for bulbs poking out of the ground when walking through the garden. Release any trapped ones that are wound up in fall leaves.
Winter Pansies: Deadhead spent flowers and remove seed heads to prolong flowering. Save any mature brown seeds as they will grow wherever you scatter them, or just sow them in pots.
Prepare potatoes for planting by 'chitting' them first.
Potatoes: Prepare potatoes for planting by placing seed potatoes upright in egg cartons or muffin tins indoors in a brightly lit location. Since spuds are prone to ‘potato scab’, do not add lime to the soil when planting. To learn more about growing ‘apples of the earth’ click here.
Buy bagged bare-root asparagus crowns from plant nurseries, home hardware stores and Walmart.
What to Plant: When weeds start to grow, plant hardy crops: peas, radish, kale, radish, spinach, broad beans, kohlrabi, raspberry canes, onions, shallots, Jerusalem artichokes, rhubarb and asparagus crowns.
Slug & Snails: Protect plants, especially seedlings and new plants, with copper mesh, slug bait or hand pick them on rainy days and during the evening. Pop them in a cup full of salty water them discard. For more tips on controlling mollusks click on the picture.
How to Grow Veggies: To learn the basics as well as companion planting, crop rotation, succession planting and more click here.
Clean bird houses and feeders, add fresh seeds and water.
Birdies: Check their feeders for mouldy seeds due to rain and snow. Disinfect feeders with bleach and soapy water, dry thoroughly. Restock the feeder, but don't fill it. Just put in quarter the amount and check regularly to ensure the seeds stay fresh.
Hummingbirds: Keep active feeders stocked and disinfect with bleach and water before refilling. Make your own nectar with 1/4 cup of plain white sugar to 1 cup of boiling water and allow to cool. Bring in their feeders when temperatures dip to -3 C, if you have no way of heating them. 
An Anna's hummingbird is thankful for the nectar amid the snow.
Kale: Don’t pull up your kale plants left over from last year, as their leaves - especially the new ones - are quite tasty. Second year kale produces tasty delicate yellow flowers, which are perfect to sauté or use them in salads.
Lime the Soil: To prevent club root, a common disease of cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli and other cole crops on soils that are too acidic, mix in Dolopril lime before planting. 
Don't add lime where you plant potatoes as it promotes potato scab.
Cover Crops
Cover Crops: If you planted cover crops last fall, cut them down and dig them into the soil at least two weeks before planting your veggies, usually February or March. Use a line trimmer or scythe. Start from the top of the plant and work your way down to create smaller pieces that will decompose more readily. Dig or rototill everything, roots and all, into the soil. Water then wait to plant until its decomposed. Cover crops that have been cut up and incorporated into the soil are referred to as green manure. To learn more about cover crops and green manure click here.
This crimson clover has been cut down and dug into the soil.
Cloches
A floating row cover made of spun bonded polyester protects plants from cold and insects.
To warm soil and protect plants from insects, place a cloche over the bed. A cloche is a protective cover, originally made of glass in the shape of a bell. They are used to protect plants from the cold and insects. An adaption of the original cloche is a tunnel. Tunnel cloches are easily made with wire hoops, PVC or even hula hoops that and covered with clear plastic, or spun bonded polyester (Remay). Once seeds and/plants are planted, the cloche will protect them from light frosts and from flying insects such as carrot rust fly. Cloches work well to warm things up and to keep insects at bay. To learn how to build your own cloche click on Controlling Insects.
A cloche protects newly sown crops during a February snowfall.
Ornamental beds
It's time to clean up beds by removing old stems and other plant debris. Pictured are Autumn Joy sedum.
Clean Beds: When plants start to grow and the soil doesn’t drip when squeezed, it’s time to clean up spent foliage from iris, daisies, and other herbaceous perennials that have been left over the winter. Refrain from composting diseased plants and their parts.
New Beds, Bigger Beds: Use a garden hose to outline new beds or to increase the size of new beds. For new beds, there’s no need to dig up the grass with the lasagna sheet mulching method. To learn all about it click here. Prepare Beds: Weed and add an inch or two of compost then gently fork it over with a garden fork. If using well-rotted or composted manure, now is the time to incorporate it into the soil. Add a couple of inches and mix it in well. Wait a week before planting. 
Remove weed seeds and shallow rooted ones by cultivating the soil down a couple of inches.
What to Plant
Your local plant nursery features lots spring flowers to give you joy.
What to Plant: When weeds start to grow, and they ground isn’t sopping wet, plant roses, shrubs, trees and perennials.
Plant Flowers: Check your local nurseries for their floral selection suitable for early spring bloomers such as pansies, primroses and potted flowering spring bulbs. Bare-root trees & shrubs: Plant as soon as possible. Place roots in a bucket of lukewarm water and transplanting fertilizers and allow to soak for 8 to 12 hours, then plant in their permanent location. Water with the remaining diluted hormone solution from the bucket. Add more water and hormone solution if necessary, to finish watering them in. 
Soak bare root plants before planting.
Dahlias
'Lucky Number' dahlia boasts huge flowers.
Plant stored dahlia tubers in pots when they start to sprout.
February Arrangement
Lenten roses are framed by unopened flower clusters of Japanese skimma, with spore striped Hart's Tongue Fern.
Pink and cream coloured lenten roses (Helleborus x hybridus) provide a splash of colour to the green background. The oval unopened flower buds of Japanese skimmia (S. japonica) are accented by the feather shaped fronds of the Hart's Tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium). The bold brown stripes on the fronds are spores. The upright green stems in the rear are Greenspire euonymus (Euonymus japonica 'Green Spire').
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February Plant of the month
Corkscrew Hazel, Harry Lauder's Walking Stick
This February scene is framed by the leafless twisted stems of a corkscrew hazel.
Harry Lauder's walking stick looks best in winter with a layer of snow.
Their undulating green leaves turn a dull yellow in fall and are not showy.
Spectacular branches grow to 10 feet tall and wide.
Their exotic shape is hidden under the many droopy leaves during the summer.
As a member of the filbert family, hazelnuts sometimes form.
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Botanical Name: Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’
Common Names: Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick, Corkscrew Hazel Origin: Great Britain Hardiness Zone: USDA Zone 4 Plant Type: deciduous shrub Plant Size: 10 ft x 10 ft Sun Exposure: full sun to partial shade Soil Preference: fertile, well drained, alkaline, arid soil tolerant. Foliage: undulating, elliptical serrated slightly hairy green up to 4" long Flowers: drooping catkins late winter, early spring Fruit: occasional edible hazel nuts Pruning: winter, remove entire stems or cut back to side branch, don't top! Problems: blight, canker, blight, rust, web worms, powdery mildew Notes: pull or cut off straight suckers asap Uses: specimen, accent, food gardens, cut flowers, barrier, border, foundations Comments: The corkscrew hazel often goes unnoticed during the summer with its nondescript leaves, bulky shape and lack of pretty flowers. It’s when the leaves are shed, this contorted and tortured shrub grabs everyone’s attention with its intricately intertwined crooked and twisted branches. Although their blossoms are not flagrant nor fancy, they are dramatic. At the dawn of spring, while winter aconite and snowdrops hesitantly peak their little heads up, their pendulous catkins cover the curled and contorted stems. As a member of the hazel nut family, edible hazelnuts are produced but not in abundance. Originally it was discovered in England in 1863 and was so named after the Scottish entertainer Sir Harry Lauder who donned a crooked walking stick. Commonly grafted onto Corylus americana (American Filbert) it is not unusual for straight non-crooked shoots to emerge from the rootstock of the American Filbert. When this happens, remove them at their base as soon as you see them or they may take over the entire plant. When purchasing a Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick, look for one that grows on its own roots rather than a grafted specimen so you won’t have the issue of suckers. Make this plant happy by planting it in sun to part shade in a well-draining loamy soil. Use corkscrew hazel as a specimen plant, for dry, arid areas, as a barrier, as an accent and as an edible ornamental. Add their twisted branches to cut flower arrangements and container plantings. 
Dangling catkins in late winter are the flowers.
Immature catkins are not bothered by the January snowfall.
The twisted and contorted branches catch the snow, making a winter wonderland display.
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Cultivars:
Red Majestic Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick, Corylus avellana contorta ‘Red Majestic’ has even more attributes than its green cousin. Its undulating, wrinkled foliage emerges as deep purple in the spring. It matures to a reddish green then in autumn it changes colour once again to an outstanding red. If you think that is impressive, it’s nothing compared to the stunning burgundy catkins that steal the show in early spring. Since this cultivar is also grafted, remove any straight and green leaved branches when they appear.
Red Majestic Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick, Corylus avellana contorta ‘Red Majestic’ has even more attributes than its green cousin. Its undulating, wrinkled foliage emerges as deep purple in the spring. It matures to a reddish green then in autumn it changes colour once again to an outstanding red. If you think that is impressive, it’s nothing compared to the stunning burgundy catkins that steal the show in early spring. Since this cultivar is also grafted, remove any straight and green leaved branches when they appear.
The twisted drooping leaves of the Red Majestic corkscrew hazel.
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The Red Majestic corkscrew hazel is being overtaken by the green rootstock. All green parts should be removed to restore the red cultivar.
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Need Help?
Need help figuring what to do in your garden? Make an appointment for Amanda to come to your garden to show you how to grow food, sow seeds, prune, design beds etc. Need help trying to figure out how to get the garden ready for spring? Get Amanda to teach you the ropes by making an appointment here.
for the tropical Gardener
While working in Florida as horticultural consultant, it became apparent that there was a need for a book on tropical shrubs. There are so many wonderful shrubs to choose from, so I wrote a reference book to make the selections easier. Ornamental Tropical Shrubs includes pictures in full colour and information about the plants in point form. So if you live in the tropics and subtropics and need a reference book on tropical shrubs, or you just want to have a look-see click here.
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