Happy New Year!  You are probably doing some house cleaning and organizing this January.  When you can drag yourself away from organizing the kitchen junk drawer, spend a little time outside in the lawn and garden as well. Here is what you can work on this month:

Vegetable Garden

Continue to harvest cold weather vegetables like kale and collards.  Plant asparagus crowns whenever the soil has dried out from all the rain we have been having.  

Trees and Shrubs

Don’t prune flowering shrubs (azaleas, hydrangea, etc.) this month.  If you prune at this point, you will risk cutting away buds that will flower in the process and we know that you don’t want that.  Instead, spend time pruning shade trees with broken limbs or limbs that are too low. If there are trees you no longer want, use this time to transplant or have a tree service help you remove them.  

Lawn

Keep your lawn free from tree leaves.  An optional task would be to apply a slow-release fertilizer or a post-emergent weed killer for those pesky weeds that flourish in these wet conditions.  Cut back ornamental grasses to about 2-3 inches high.

Indoor Plants

Don’t neglect your indoor plants this winter.  Our most recent post shares tips for caring for houseplants during these colder months. You can keep your poinsettias and/or other “holiday” plants as long as you care for them properly.  Read our post on caring for poinsettias and keep them around all year..  We found this helpful site with information about caring for your amaryllis plants.  

Start Planning

On those days when it is cold and dreary, start dreaming of sunny days with your hands in the warm soil.  Plan for what you want to do with your outdoor space this spring and summer. Need some ideas? Our Garden Center staff is here all winter and would love to chat with you.  Need help beyond that? Consider scheduling a design appointment now rather than during the spring. Our schedule fills quickly come March so get ahead of the rush!

Hot Chocolate

If you spend time outside, you will surely be chilled to the bone, so afterward, go inside and make a nice hot, creamy cup of cocoa to warm you up.  We found the highest-rated recipe for you.  You’re welcome!

Hold tight, lovers of green.  Spring approaches.