February 2021

“The rose is a rose and was always a rose. 

But the theory now goes that the apple’s a rose, 

and the pear is, and so’s the plum, I suppose. 

The dear [Lord] only knows what will next prove a rose. 

You, of course, are a rose - but were always a rose.”

-Robert Frost

The beginning of February brings us a bit closer to spring, winter has by no means left us yet, there are still many days, months even, to keep a fire blazing in the hearth and to bundle up as we move about the garden. But February always feels to me that we are over the hump of winter, and even if it goes on for quite a bit, there is a steady hope that spring is just around the corner February means the days are lengthening, seemingly all of a sudden (though it is very gradual), Days are warming up a bit, while the nights stay cold, but those days above freezing, if you can find a sunny and sheltered place to sit, you really can feel the warmth of spring. Typically, in early to mid February we are into sugaring season, trees are tapped, buckets hung up, filled, and then hauled int to the stove to simmer away, leaving us with a bit of golden syrup to grace our tables. Depending on the year, we might even begin to see the first of the snow drops at the end of this month!

As you walk about your garden, crunching or crusts of frozen earth, or mounds of snow if we have any, you might look about and feel there is nothing to see, nothing to do here, but this is actually a great time of year to be in the garden and to knock off some jobs that can be done now, instead of when everything has to be done in the spring.

Here is what we are up to in our garden and what could do in yours!

Appreciating the Winter Garden

It can at times be harder to find the beauty of the garden in winter, the flowers are gone and the herbaceous green foliage has died back, and if we don’t have snow, the world can look a bit barren. Over the years I have begun to really understand the importance of planning your garden for more than the growing season, you really need to think about your garden in winter, especially the gardens around your outdoor living space. We have come to rely on evergreens more and more to add color and structure in winter, as well as including perennials and grasses that hold their foliage or seed heads into the winter, giving us the feeling of our garden. 

As you look out into or walk through your gardens this month, think about how you might add plants into your garden that can give you the structure, texture, color and movement of a garden, even in our coldest months. 

Create a Bird Table

One project we did back in November and have been very dedicated to all winter long is constructing a bird table (and hanging some bird feeders) in our front garden. It was a simple project, I used what I could find, some bits of boards to create a surface, some bricks, some gnarly bits of fallen branches or small logs with lots of crevices for seed to settle into, a base of a planting pot for water, and a bird seed mix. I can not express how much we have loved this simple addition. It is in our front garden, and we can see it from living room and office windows. We love to sip our coffee by the fire and watch the riot of activity, some of our regular visitors are cardinals, blue jays, chickadees, tufted titmouse, indigo buntings, house sparrows and nut hatches. It isn’t too late, pick a sheltered spot in your garden that you can see well from a window you sit near and build a bird table, and just wait to see who will all visit. 

Wrapping up Winter Projects

This month finds us looking to get on top of those winter tasks that haven’t happened yet. Because in December there were fall projects to wrap up and Christmas, then in January, spring feels far away, but now in February, time feel like it is speeding up. On our homestead there is wood to be split and stacked for winters to come, a bow Fram greenhouse to build for more seed starting space and plant propagating space, a stone wall to be finished, gardens to be set right and gotten ready, tools to care for and sharpen, plans to be made, etc.. 

Seeds

Now is the time, if you haven’t already, to order seeds and to plan out your garden! We are starting to draw out and plan the annual gardens, and a few new garden space we created last fall. Time to get out the paper and pencils and have at it! I often find that I never stick exactly to a plan (just like I can never stick exactly to a recipe), the plan become a good idea that I inevitably tweak when I am actually out in the field. But it helps to start with a plan. 

Pruning Fruit Trees

Some of you might have a fruit tree or several that you are looking at and thinking it might need a pruning, well now is a good time to have a look.

But a word of caution…it is very easy to overdue it when pruning fruit trees, and thus prune away all your blooms, and consequently your fruit. So easy does it! There are lots of different theories on when and how to prune each and every type of fruit tree, but here is what I have found to be true, take it our leave it, and do what you will.

To start, you need clean, sharp pruners, loppers, and pruning saws. You are preforming surgery, and it is easy to spread disease between trees or damage a tree in such a way that makes it harder for it to heal. Sharpen and clean all your tools before you begin and then when you move to a new tree, wipe down your blades with cheap vodka or something else that can sterilize the blades. Don’t leave the bits you pruned laying around, burn them immediately if at all possible, or minimally take them far away from your fruit trees, this will stop disease from spreading between trees. 

Be especially careful pruning Plums, Apricots, Peaches and Cherries. They tend to be “bleeders” and don’t heal as well, so pruning them when the sap isn’t flowing as much is good. Although, prune them only when necessary, and if in doubt, don’t. 

In general, all fruit trees need to have good light penetration and airflow, they say a pigeon should be able to fly through it. You are going for an open form. 

For apples and pears you don’t want to give it a hard prune in winter unless the tree need major rehabilitation. A hard winter prune will stimulate lots of new growth, but not better flowering or fruit set. If you are trying to restrict growth it is better to prune in July. But in January / February remove damaged or diseased branches, any branches that rub or cross or grows inward, and prune to a more open form. It is easy to over do it, so step back a lot to see the form and keep an eye on how much you are pruning, less is more. 

Pruning Espalier Fruit Trees

For these, you want some strong new growth, so prune out any weak or unideal growth in the winter to invigorate desired growth based on how you are training it. Then you can come back again in July and prune that new grow to the desire form. 

Pruning Raspberries

Now is the time to cut back last years canes on any fall fruiting raspberries, it you can, burn them in a brush fire, you don’t want to leave them about the patch and potentially spread and disease. Fall fruiting raspberries fruit on new growth, the canes grow and then produce fruit all in one season. Summer fruiting raspberries and black raspberries fruit on second year growth. For those you want to leave the new growth from last year and prune away the old growth that fruited the last year. 

Tool Maintenance

Before all the above pruning take some time to lay out your tools, pruners, looper, saws, shovels, hoes, etc. Wipe them all down and clean them up. A damp rag with a touch of soap can remove any stuck on residue on handles and other parts. Wire wool and a bit of elbow grease can clean up build up, rust and any of the like on all the metal bits of blades and spades. A sharpening stone can be used to hone the edges of knives, cutting blades, shovels, ect. Lastly I use a good linseed oil to rub down all my wood tool handles (my favorite place to buy high quality garden tools are Felco and Sneerboer). 

As it turns out, sharper tools that work property are both safer to use and do less damage to your plants. So pick a particularly cold day that you find yourself dreaming of your garden and pull out all the tools, put on a garden show in the background and get cracking at garden tool maintenance.