Winter Scene in Fintry Provincial Park – From Melting Snow to Winter Wonderland
As we move on to February, the winter scenes change from day to day. I usually write my post a few days before it is due. The consequence of that though is I have to constantly update as the weather can change dramatically. I had initially stated that the snow had melted in parts and my walk in the park was a lot easier. However, we have had a few heavy snowfalls since then creating a winter wonderland again. I love the effects of the snow clinging to the trees and shrubs. It will still be a while then before I will see any new life in the garden.
Rose Bush and Cotoneaster Buried Under the Snow
Towards the end of the month I will be looking out for new buds and blooms on the Witch Hazel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch-hazel). This ornamental tree was placed in my rockery garden area and the brilliant yellow scented blooms greet you as I come out of my front door.
Garden Maintenance
In milder areas down on the coast it is a good time to start winter clean up and pruning. However in the Central Okanagan it is best to hold off as we can be easily taken off guard with a sudden arctic flow which can cause irreparable damage. Towards the end of the month I will be assessing the shrubs and roses and will start pruning out any dead wood depending on weather. As I have mentioned many times before, you do have to be careful pruning the fortsythia and lilac as you can easily prune off this year’s flowers. For further tips on spring garden maintenance click on these links for blog posts https://momentsinthegarden.com/garden-maintenance-pruning/ and https://momentsinthegarden.com/early-spring-clean-up/.
Seed Ordering Time
February is a good month for perusing seed catalogues and deciding on what to sow for the summer flower and vegetable gardens. I am always looking out for new varieties. Each year I say to myself that I am going to cut back a little but it never seems to happen. The result is when we are trying to get away camping I have to depend on good neighbours to help water my young seedlings. I am becoming increasingly aware that I need to have more drought resistant plants so that I can cut down on the watering. Maybe this year I will limit the number of hanging baskets…time will tell.
A Month of Celebrations
February is also a busy month for my husband and I as we celebrate my birthday and our wedding anniversary. This is shortly followed by Valentine’s Day; a busy time for florists. I don’t necessarily need roses; in fact I would rather have something that I could plant. My favourite flower is freesia but they are becoming more difficult to obtain.
Wishing all my followers a very Happy February. To those gardening enthusiasts we will soon be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel; i.e. Spring and all that it offers.
