February stirs a bit of excitement as we inch closer and closer to spring. Still, it's unpredictable as the weather during February can be quite different from year to year. Often, it arrives warm but leads us into March with frosty mornings. In 2016, I went on vacation and returned to my magnolia and nectarine trees in full bloom not even two weeks into February. Then 2019 rolled around, and we experienced heavy rains and massive flooding.
Stop here and take a moment to recall what your garden was like in February last year. What do you remember about the weather?
Does anyone remember that many parts of Sonoma County experienced snow towards the end of the month? And the fruit trees didn't blossom until early March? Everything was very late last year.
10 Year Perpetual Garden Diary
I wouldn’t remember too much of this if I didn’t keep a record because recalling specific monthly information can be spotty at best. Here’s a wonderful way to assist your memory and provide an efficient method to record the goings on in your garden.
My husband gifted me "A Gardener's Journal" for Christmas one year. It's a 10-year perpetual diary that has become my most relied-on tool for gardening. Each daily entry contains an area for recording the weather and a few lines to jot down anything essential for that day. The book also includes a perennial inventory, dot paper for mapping a garden, multiple pages of helpful practices, a tree inventory list, and much more. When I buy a new tree or perennial, I can easily add the name and variety to my list and forget about keeping track of a plant tag. Previously, I consulted a random drawer filled with all my tags, and it was hard to locate anything. Talk about inefficient.
Some months, I write more than others, but if you get even half the month down, you'll be well on your way to creating a personal almanac. As you start recording and as the years build, patterns will start to emerge. For instance, I now know the minute I spot a flash of pink quince blossoms, spring is right around the corner. From there, the dominoes fall one by one, starting with the apricot tree, followed by the nectarines and peaches, and before long, I'll be sowing the multiple seed packets now arriving in my mailbox.
To purchase a journal, head over to www.leevalley.com and type "A Gardener's Journal" in the search line. While you wait for it to arrive, keep your eyes out for those glorious signs of life. This month always provides a few glimpses of spring, even if we're experiencing frosty mornings. I love the anticipation of what's to come: longer days, seed sowing, plants emerging, and more fresh items for picking and eating.
Happy Gardening!