January in the garden is full of spring time anticipation. I love the quite time this month brings, the need to clean up from the prior year, organize the greenhouse, and make plans for all the things I’ll be planting. A few things always begin to sprout and the seeds I planted in the fall start to show their beautiful offspring.
green leaf fennel
an amazingly fresh and aromatic addition to salads and a beautiful garnish to any plate.
In the greenhouse, our green leaf fennel (photo above) has grown from seed. Last summer I allowed our plant in the garden to go to seed (essentially meaning I let it flower, produce seeds, then allowed the plant to dry out until those seeds were mature…you can typically tell they’re ready when they either start falling from the plant or you can very easily remove the seed pods). Once I harvested their seeds (in August), I stored them in a paper bag in a cool, dry, dark place, then planted some in late September in a tray (these trays being my favorite, typically you can find them at your local hardware/garden store for around $5 each) Once the seeds were planted, I placed in the greenhouse (if you don’t have a greenhouse, I recommend you placing trays near a morning lit window indoors). I always find bottom watering…meaning filling the bottom tray with water and allowing the soil to wick up the moisture, rather than watering from the the top of the soil, allows for better success with seeds and therefore seedlings. And by bottom watering, it also allows for your roots to grown down looking for water, ensuring more growth and a healthier root system overall. If you decide to plant seeds in pots, you can accomplish this also by using a saucer under your pot.
Sweet peas
a delicate, sweetly scented flower that typically grace gorgeous bridal bouquets. bring that heavenly scent indoors with a vase life of 4-5 days!
One of my favorite flowers, scent wise, are Sweet Peas, so last November, I decided to plant some seeds, a first for me. Their seedlings (photo above) are currently growing strong. A few weeks ago I pinched off their initial growth, leaving two bottom leaves to encourage a stronger, healthier plant. And now they’re just about ready for transplanting to larger pots and staking as well (sweet peas need a trellis of sorts for them to climb up against as they can grow 6-8 feet).
strawberries
a garden must have, easily grown in beds or containers and the perfect addition for gardening with kids
Another favorite of ours, strawberries. Our little strawberry patch sits between the kid’s playhouses. In early summer, I love that they can just help help themselves to a sweet snack. Every summer, after fruiting, strawberry plants (called the mother plant), send out little offspring of sorts. They’re shoots that grow from the mother plant, and if left throughout summer, will begin to root themselves in the ground. I try to catch them before rooting. I leave the “umbilical cord”, the shoot that attaches the new plant to the mother plant in tact…then place the new plant into small pots filled with soil, in hopes they begin to root. 9 times out of 10 they do. Then in late summer, early fall, once their roots are established and healthy, I cut the “umbilical cord”. Don’t you just love how this is a plant that mimics our own human birth? But seriously, once the baby plant’s roots are established, you need to cut it from the mother plant as it will continue to take nutrients from her, ultimately harming the mother plant. Once I separate the babies I place them in the greenhouse (photo above) for protection during the winter (again, no greenhouse, a morning lit window will work). Once spring has sprung, I plant these new plants into our bed for even more delightful strawberries. (keep in mind they typically won’t fruit in year one, so don’t be alarmed if you’re not seeing any fruit this first season).
rainbow carrots
nothing says spring like the colorful bounty of beautiful carrots
Another first for me this year are carrots. While I’m still considering planting some in our garden beds, I decided to try planting some seeds in a large pot (photo above). Keep in mind carrots don’t love to be transplanted, so once you plant those seeds, you’ll want to keep them put. Now, if you planted too many too close together, you’ll want to thin them out. Also, carrots LOVE consistent watering…that doesn’t mean a lot of watering. Just consistent. If you’re wanting beautiful carrots without cracks, this step is imperative to ensure a healthy crop.
Herbs & greens
if you grow nothing else, i urge you grow edibles, like herbs and hearty greens (kale, spinach, lettuces)
Out in our garden beds, most things are still in their winter slumber. But being in zone 7/8, our lettuce bed typically loves this time of year. Our romaine (photo above), spinach, arugula, kale and swiss chard are coming to life. Along with some of our hearty winter herbs like oregano and parsley, both of which thrive in cool weather!
camellia flowers
a beautiful addition to your landscaping. while slow growing, the investment in time will eventually give you an evergreen hedge with delightful blooms in winter
As for flowers, this month always greets us with the first of the camellia blooms! I love how their shrubs leave an array of pink petal confetti on the ground once blooms are spent (photo above)!
tulips, daffodils & hyacinths
these flowers are the first signs of spring and always a favorite of mine!
And another January surprise has been the sprouting of our window boxes. In late November, I decided to plant tulip, daffodil and hyacinths bulbs and was surprised to already see those begin to sprout. Fingers crossed for pretty blooms to grace our windows this Spring.