February Flourish

Grateful for the ever-increasing daylight and temperatures, gardeners can start planting again here in North Florida during the month of February. From flowers to roses to vegetables many opportunities for beating off the winter doldrums exist for the Florida gardener.

Barcopa with Geranium from Birds and Blooms

For your yard, a number of cool weather annuals can be planted during February. Dianthus, viola, and pansies can be planted now as well as the silvery colored dusty miller annual.  I prefer the viola with its smaller flowers and a wide variety of colors. Plant in You can also start some containers during February. A great container plant is the Barcopa. It won't be available at your average big box home store so try a locally owned nursery like Garden Gate. It has a trailing habit and lovely small white or purple flowers. Mix it with geraniums, ferns or any other annual with an upright habit.

Other yard activities for February include pruning roses. Hopefully, you haven't touched them since the Fall. Late February is the time to prune, mulch and fertilize roses. Continue to fertilize monthly through November. Remove dead canes and prune to 18 inches in height for your standard rose bush. Expect blooms in 8-12 weeks.

Bulbs can also be planted during February. An area favorite such as agapanthus can be planted in groups for a more dramatic effect. For wet areas consider the swamp lily known as crinum. It's a Florida native plant and has an interesting white blossom.

As for vegetables, a large number of cool weather plants can continue to be planted through the end of February. You can see the full list at the IFAS website. Plant potatoes at the end of the month. Seed potatoes are available from local nurseries or Southern states stores.