The Monterey Garden Club

  in magnificent Highland County, Virginia

 special announcement:

The 11th Monterey Garden Club

House & Garden Tour

will be on Saturday, July 14, 2012

"Sweet Memories of Highland"

GARDEN HINTS AND NOTES

FOR FEBRUARY

Winter officially arrived more than a month ago, and we still have a long way to go before we gardeners can contemplate getting back outside.

So what can we do at this time of year?

Answer: plan our gardens!

February is a good time to sort out packets of vegetable seeds leftover from last year and check the germination rate of old, questionable seed. The easiest way to do this is to place 10 seeds between moistened paper towels, roll up the towel and place it in a plastic bread bag. Place the bag on top of the refrigerator or other relatively warm location and check after seven days to see what percentage has germinated. If 9 of the 10 seeds sprout, you have a 90 percent germination rate. Discard seed lots with less than 70 percent germination.

Don't put off seed orders to the last minute.

Go ahead and place that order now

from the catalogue

that has been lying next to your reading chair for weeks.

SOME SUGGESTIONS TO PUT IN YOUR PLAN-AHEAD FILE:

One week our gardens are snowbound and bleak; the next, if south winds and sunshine persist, there will be flowers - sparks of color will appear along the receding edge of the snow, or glow promisingly just under the last fragile crusts of ice. Snowdrops (Galanthus spp) and winter aconites (Eranthis spp) are traditionally the earliest spring flowers in our Zone 5 gardens.

SO - PUT THESE IN YOUR GARDENING BOOK NOW -

A LIST OF THINGS TO ORDER NEXT FALL:

SNOWDROPS (Galanthus spp)

• bloom: early spring
• height: 2-3 inches
• color: white
• needs: afternoon shade

Snowdrops are not the fragile creatures they seem to be - indeed, part of their appeal lies in the contrast between their delicate appearance and their sturdy reality. They have been fashioned to push through crusty snow and hard ground and to cope with the cold. Early planting is essential - as soon as the bulbs are available and no later than mid-September. They resent well-intentioned meddling (being dug up and moved around - and especially, being kept out of the ground any length of time.) But left alone, they will increase by offsets and (if you’re lucky) seeds for decades

WINTER ACONITE(Eranthis spp)

• bloom: early spring
• height: 2-3 inches
• color: yellow
• needs: afternoon shade

Winter aconites grow from small, brown, oddly shaped tuberous roots - and can usually be found in stores in August. It is essential to order them early and tuck the tubers in the ground the day they arrive. Plant them 3 inches deep and the same distance apart. They grow best in the same soil and sites that suit snowdrops and bloom in sync with them - making a lovely display of white and gold.

Crocus

• bloom: early spring
• height: 2-6 inches
• color: orange, lavender, blue, white, yellow, cream
• needs: full sun

 In a sunnier part of the garden, the first patches of color are likely to be tiny buds of Crocus ancyrensis poking through their tight bundles of spiky leaves. This 2-inch Turkish wildflower usually outpaces even the impatient snowdrops and the winter aconites. Get a bunch of the corms - 50 or so - since they are inexpensive, take up next to no room, and spread quickly to make a welcome splash of warm color in the chilly spring garden.

The first crocus is followed by a clutch of its wild kin: they are among spring’s best gifts to gardeners; one fine example is Crocus sieberi - with its small lilac blue cups, warmed by an orange center and scarlet stigmata.

From the variable species, Crocus chrysanthus, a host of hardy, early snowcrocuses have descended (such as ‘Snow Bunting,’ ‘Blue Bird,’ ‘Cream Beauty’ and ‘Zwanenburg Bronze.’ These all increase rapidly to form flowery mounds of wonderful color along border edges, down rock garden slopes or in any sunny corner where they need not be disturbed for years - and will bloom at the first hint of warmth. For best effect, plant the corms in informal groups of 25 or 50 at the front of a flowerbed. They crave sun for most of the day, prefer nourishing and fairly light soil and when protected from cold north winds, will flower earlier and longer. Heavy clay, shade, soggy spots and soil clogged with fresh manure will all lead to failure. Plant about 4 inches deep from August to September. Let their foliage ripen thoroughly to nourish the next spring’s crop of flowers.

And - some others to keep in mind:

•  Iris reticulata
• Glory of the Snow (Chinodoxa spp)
• Scilla (Scilla spp)
• Grape Hyacinth (Muscari spp)