10 Gardening Activities for February in the Pacific Northwest

1. Transplant & Direct Sow Cool-Season Crops

Cool-season starts such as arugula, cabbage, carrots, kale, leeks, lettuce, mustard, onions, and others should be transplanted into garden beds. It’s also likely time to direct sow parsnips, peas, radishes, spinach, and turnips. Be sure that when you’re planting, you place your starts and seeds in amended soil with plenty of compost and organic fertilizer. For starts and plants that have sprouted, be sure to keep a consistent watering schedule now and throughout the growing season. It’s also a good idea to have frost protection for your cool-season crops. Consider getting hoops and frost cloth or planting in a cold frame.

2. Cut Flowering Branches

Bring early floral color into your home by cutting flowering branches such as saucer or star magnolias, forsythia, quince, flowering cherry, crabapple, and dogwood. If the branches are still in bud, then place the entire branch in room temperature water overnight (around 8 hours). This will help coax them out of dormancy. Then remove the branches from the water, re-cut them, and set in simple glass containers filled with water and floral preservative. Be sure the vase or container is large and filled with water to help prevent the tall branches from toppling over. Ballard Designs and Terrain have nice selections of large vases.

3. Bring in the Bees

You don’t have to keep honeybees to have a garden that’s filled with bees. Attract bees to your garden by planting flowers they love. Be sure to use plants that flower through as many seasons as possible: spring (mustard, manzanita, bay laurel, calendula, borage), summer (rosemary, cherry, columbine, blackberry and raspberry, thyme, clover, coreopsis, cosmos, catmint, agastache, lavender), late summer and fall (salvia, zinnia, mountain mint, milkweed, echinacea, aster, sunflower, sneezeweed). All the plants will provide forage for bees and fill your garden with liveliness. The bees will also improve the production rates of your crops. More specifically, consider native bees too. They are great pollinators. Install native beehives throughout your garden.

4. Plant Landscape Roses

Landscape roses are tough plants that often rebloom throughout the year. Plant landscape roses in large swaths and groups to add drama and abundant color to your garden. Look for landscape roses such as Oso Easy from Proven Winners or Drift (groundcover roses) or Knockout (bushy roses).

5. Plant Annuals in Hanging Baskets for Early Color

Planting hanging baskets with pansies, nemesia, and osteospermum daisies is a great way to bring early color to your garden. These flowers come in vibrant colors such as fuchsia, pink, orange, yellow, purple, and more. Proven Winners has a wide selection of recipes for hanging-basket designs. For a no-fuss hanging basket, plant a Flower Pillow which comes pre-planted with a thoughtful recipe of flowersShop for hanging baskets online at retailers such as Gardener's Supply Company and Terrain.

6. Cut Back Ornamental Grasses

Just before new spring growth begins is a good time to cut back ornamental grasses. Waiting until this time in late winter or early spring ensures that grasses look stubby for the shortest period possible. Lush new growth will return soon as the weather warms. When cutting grasses back, use garden shears to cut grasses to 1 or 2 feet high. Some of the grass can be left on the ground as mulch. If you have large stands of grasses, add them to compost piles or dispose of them. Once you cut back grasses, add a layer of compost around grasses and water them well to help stimulate growth.

7. Cut Back or Clean Houseplants

If you haven’t cut back or cleaned houseplants in a while, late winter or early spring is a good time to do so. Cutting plants back may feel harsh but actually helps the plant regenerate and stimulates new growth. This will help leggy plants fill out with lush, healthy-looking foliage. Pistils Nursery has a good article on 5 tips for spring houseplant care. Clean plants with a spray bottle and rag or use a specialty houseplant spray.

8. Prune Trees and Shrubs

Pruning deciduous trees and shrubs in late winter or early spring while they are still dormant is a good way to promote lush spring growth. Pruning should be done to promote plant health, maintain size and shape, and to allow sunlight to reach plant foliage. To begin pruning, remove dead, broken, or diseased branches. Trim the outer canopy for shape. Then open up the structure by removing any crossing branches. It’s a good idea to take a class on pruning at your local botanic garden or read up on pruning before starting. Pruning & Training provides a good introduction.

9. Order Spring-Planted Bulbs, Tubers & Corms

Wait to plant spring-planted bulbs until the soil warms and stays above 55 or 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on where you live, this could be in March or April. Many people wait to plant after their average last frost date, which you can find on The Old Farmer's Almanac. You’ll want to get your order in for anemones, begonias, calla lilies, cannas, dahlias, elephant ears, gladiolus, lilies, ranunculus, and more. Visit online retailers such as Longfield Gardens or Brent and Becky's Bulbs to order.

10. Plan Your Visit to the Northwest Flower & Garden Show

Often taking place at the end of February or early March, the Northwest Flower & Garden Show is one of the best and biggest flower shows in the United States. The show floor is filled with display gardens and garden vendors (you can do all your spring garden shopping in once place). There are also a wide range of seminars that you can attend.