A Few Bulbs For January and Early February

[Clockwise from Top Left: Galanthus nivalis (Common Snowdrop), Eranthus hyemalis (Winter Aconite), Cyclamen coum (Hardy Cyclamen) and Iris unguicularis (Winter or Clawed Iris)]

The bulbs shown above are some of the precious few perennial flowers that we can enjoy in January in the Pacific Northwest. Although there are larger shrubs like winter-blooming camellias and witch hazels in flower at this time, these dainty naturalizers have a charm all their own and they work nicely into existing flower and shrub beds. Each of them will spread slowly by means of offsets and self-seeding but none of them are invasive or pose a threat to neighboring plants. Each will go dormant shortly after blooming and magically reappear in January next year.


Species of Galanthus and Cyclamen typically thrive in filtered shade, whereas Iris unguicularis (and the majority of the genus) prefer afternoon sunlight. Eranthus hyemalis prefers direct sunlight in the winter months leading up to and during its bloom time but will tolerate deep shade from spring until fall. All of these plants prefer moist, well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. With the exception of Iris unguicularis, which may require a mail-order source, each of these plants should be readily available at better garden centers.


Stay warm in the meantime and make plans to attend and shop at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show next month (see 'Events'). Cheers. - Tim

January Garden To-Do List

My thoughts and references are below, but the tasks at hand for this month are as follows (if needed):
1. Prune deciduous trees (ornamental and fruit-bearing)
2. Prune summer-blooming deciduous shrubs (ie. Berberis, Sambucus, Cotinus, Spiraea x'Goldflame' -to name a few)
3. Apply soil additives now for desired color on hydrangeas but do not prune or fertilize them until mid-March(see link to Taunton's 'Fine Gardening' or I will show how in a future post)
4. Protect marginally hardy plants from cold temperatures (ie. Phormiums, hebes, etc.)
5. Have patience and restraint in pruning much of anything else. A good rule of thumb for the PNW(Pacific NW) is to wait until late February to prune any roses, buddleias, fuschias, lavateras and late-blooming clematis varieties. Also, refrain from pruning any broadleaf evergreen shrubs (ie. rhododenrons, laurels, etc.) until early April or after they bloom.

I hope that this helps some of you and enjoy the nice weather in the meantime.

Today was absolutely beautiful in the Great Northwest. The sun was shining and we had relatively mild temperatures for this time of year. This is the type of day where we can easily forget that we are still in the middle of winter and find ourselves overambitious about our plans to 'clean-up' our gardens. We are tempted to dress for battle and head out to prune back all oversized trees, shrubs and plants in sight. Though many subscribe to the 'neat and tidy' look, it is wise to take stock of what we have and what is best for our plants. With pruners, loppers and other garden implements in our hot little hands, adrenaline takes over and we may not realize that we have just pruned all of the flowers off of our rhododendrons and hydrangeas, rendering them colorless for the coming season. These overenthusiastic mistakes are so common at this time of year that it is difficult to make it all the way around the block without seeing at least one such example of garden butchery. These mistakes are understandable and we've all made them even though some of us, like yours truly, pretend that we've always known better. `
One book that set me onto the right path to caring for my trees,shrubs and perennials was 'The Royal Horticultural Society (Manual of)Pruning and Training' by Christopher Brickell and David Joyce c. 2000. The 'Maritime Northwest Garden Guide' produced by Seattle Tilth (principle authors: Carl Elliott and Rob Peterson)c. 1998 was also very helpful. Both have been reading staples of mine to know the timing and performance of particular garden tasks as they relate to specific genera. Both books do an excellent job of describing things in lay terms for less experienced gardeners, and each offers a wealth of illustrations and photographs to visually assist the reader. I am always looking for new gardening books, but these are very helpful as references before heading out on a sunny winter's day to 'take back the garden.'

Jewels Of The Winter Garden

Jewels Of The Winter Garden:
(Clockwise from Top Left) Hamamelis mollis, Camellia reticulata 'Yuletide,' Camellia sasanqua 'Setsugekka,' Helleborus x hybridus - Rose Madder strain, Cyclamen hederifolium, Acer palmatum 'Sango kaku,' Arum italicum ssp. italicum 'White Winter,' Helleborus x hybridus - Double purple form, (Center) Helleborus x hybridus (guttatus hybrid)

Happy New Year everyone! I'm back to blogging and ready to head outdoors again to enjoy another year of gardening. Time will only tell if I can keep my New Year's resolutions to grow more plants, take more pictures and share more gardening knowledge with my friends and clients but I'm going to try.
It is still freezing outside but there are signs of life and a few things blooming if you look around. The photos shown in the template are all plants that are in bloom now or will be within the next 3-4 weeks. If you are viewing this on Facebook, click on 'View Original File' on the bottom of this page and go to my URL for links to find out what's new for 2009. Cheers, Tim