PLANTING

California poppies. To fill bare spots in the garden, sow seed of Eschscholzia californica for spring color. Don’t like orange? Try ‘Dusky Rose’ or ‘Buttercream’. Buy seeds at nurseries or online from Renee’s Garden.

Ornamental vegetables. Sunset climate zones 7–9, 14–17: Brightly hued greens are both beautiful and nutritious. For planting out in February, sow seeds indoors now. Cool-season choices include chard, kale, and lettuce; one good seed source is Ornamental Edibles (408/528-7333) in San Jose.

Azaleas and camellias. Sunset climate zones 7–9, 14–17: Now is a good time to shop for blooming azaleas and camellias so you can choose the plants by the flower colors you like. Before buying a plant, make sure it’s healthy and its leaves are lush and green. Avoid buying plants that have pale leaves, leggy growth, or roots protruding through drain holes.

Bare-root plants. Zones 7–9, 14–17: Bare-root roses, shrubs, fruit and shade trees, and vines are all in nurseries this month; they’re less expensive than containerized versions sold later in spring, and they become established faster. Plant as soon as you get them home. Or, if you have to delay planting for a few days, lay the plants on their sides in a shallow trench, then cover the roots with moist sawdust or soil.

Berries. Zones 7–9, 14–17: Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries are available bare-root this month. For especially tasty blueberries, try ‘Bluecrop’, ‘Misty’, and ‘Reveille’. Flavorful strawberries include ‘Chandler’, ‘Pajaro’, and ‘Sequoia’; also try ‘Aptos’ or ‘Fern’ — two day-neutral varie­ties, recommended by the Santa Clara County Master Gardeners, that produce heavily from April to October.

Cool-season annuals. Zones 7–9, 14–17: Perk up winter gardens with a splash of color from plants in 4-inch containers (smaller plants will struggle to develop during cold weather). Choices include calendula, cineraria, pansy, Iceland poppy, English and fairy primroses, snapdragon, stock, and viola. Tuck the plants into pots or add them to flower beds and borders.

Winter-blooming shrubs. For color in your winter garden, choose from Australian fuchsia, breath of heaven, heath, leptospermum, and pieris. Shop while plants are in bloom to see what you’re getting.

Winter jasmine. The sweetly fragrant vine with bountiful pink buds and white blossoms that you’ll soon be seeing — and perhaps wishing you had in your own garden — is Jasminum polyanthum. Don’t go another year without this winter perfume.

Summer-blooming bulbs. For beautiful and unusual varieties of dahlias, gladiolus, and Asiatic and Oriental lilies by summer, order bulbs by mail now. The following sources sell all types: Dutch Gardens (888/821-0448) and McClure & Zimmerman (800/883-6998). Or try a specialist such as Swan Island Dahlias (800/410-6540) or B&D Lilies.

MAINTENANCE

Care for gift plants. Zones 7–9, 14–17: Clip spent blooms from Christmas cactus and kalanchoe. Move hardier types such as azaleas, cyclamen, cymbidiums, and mini conifers to protected spots outdoors. Water plants regularly, and repot to a larger container before they become rootbound and begin to dry out quickly. Fertilize azaleas after bloom finishes; feed cymbidiums with half-strength fertilizer every week or so. Zones 1–2: Keep all plants indoors until after the last hard freeze.

Care for houseplants. Make sure houseplants are getting adequate light during darker days; move them to brighter locations if necessary. Periodically wash off leaves to help prevent pest infestations. (If plants are small enough, you can set them in the sink or shower to give them a thorough cleaning.) Remove yellowing or dead leaves, and trim brown edges from leaf tips with sharp scissors. Apply fertilizer at half strength.

Check irrigation. The rainy season (when automatic irrigation systems are off) is a good time to perform any needed maintenance. Fix broken heads or emitters. Test your controller and valves and replace if necessary so you’ll be ready to water when spring comes. Also during the rainy season, Set out containers to catch rainwater. Use it to refresh houseplants or container plants.

Protect plants from frost. Zones 7–9, 14–17: If freezing temperatures are predicted, make sure plants are well watered (dry plants are more susceptible to frost damage). Move tender potted citrus, cymbidiums, mandevillas, and succulents beneath overhangs or into the garage. Protect large frost-tender plants growing in the ground by setting four stakes around the plants’ perimeter (stakes should be several inches taller than plants). At night, place a frost blanket or a piece of burlap over the stakes so as not to touch the leaves. Uncover in the morning.

Prune. Zones 7–9, 14–17: To keep deciduous plants like flowering vines, fruit and shade trees, grapes, and roses healthy and shapely, prune them now while they’re dormant. Remove dead or diseased limbs from trees, as well as any that are crossing or rubbing. For modern bush roses, cut out dead, damaged, or crossing branches first; then prune back all the remaining canes by one-third to one-half, cutting each cane back to just above a node. Always use newly sharpened tools to avoid injury.

Tune up tools. Sharpen shovels and hoes, rub down wood handles with linseed oil, and replace or hone dull blades on pruning shears and knives.