What to do in your garden in February - Mountain

Sunset, Feb, 2003 by Marcia Tatroe

PLANNING AND PLANTING

* ORDER PLANTS. For a good selection of drought-resistant plants, check out the catalog offerings of these regional sources. Agua Fria Nursery of Santa Fe (505/983-4831) specializes in difficult-to-find perennials, Western wildflowers, and trees and shrubs, including many that don't require any supplemental watering after they become established. Great Basin Natives of Holden, Utah (www.greatbasinnatives.com or 435/795-2303), carries a wide selection of native plants.

* PLANT BARE-ROOT VEGETABLES. As soon as the soil can be worked, plant bare-root asparagus, horseradish, Jerusalem artichokes, and rhubarb. Choose a sunny location and dig in several inches of compost and a handful of balanced fertilizer before planting. Johnny's Selected Seeds of Winslow, Maine (www.johnnyseeds.com or 207/437-4301), offers an extra-early Jerusalem artichoke called 'Stampede'. Nourse Farms of South Deerfield, Massachusetts (www.noursefarms.com or 413/665-2658), sells many varieties of asparagus, horseradish, and rhubarb.

* PLANT LILIES. Lily bulbs can go into the ground as soon as the soil has thawed. Many garden centers stock lilies at this time. Or order bulbs from the Lily Garden in Vancouver, Washington (360/253-6273).

* START AN INDOOR HERB GARDEN. Plant several kinds of herbs together in a wide, shallow pot, or grow them individually in 4- to 6-inch pots. Chives, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, sage, tarragon, and thyme are good choices for a sunny kitchen windowsill. Snip and use the herbs during their indoor stay. In spring, set the pots outdoors or transplant into the ground.

* START COOL-SEASON CROPS. Indoors or in a greenhouse, start seeds of cool-season vegetables, including broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, and Swiss chard for transplanting into the garden in April. Botanical Interests of Broomfield, Colorado (www.gardentrails.com), offers seeds of heirloom vegetables; try 'Italian Sprouting' or 'Raab' broccoli, 'Nero' or 'Russian Red' kale, or 'Fordhook Giant' or 'Italian White Rib' Swiss chard.

MAINTENANCE

* CONTROL WHITEFLIES. Before bringing a new houseplant home, inspect the undersides of leaves for winged adult whiteflies and their pinhead-size larvae, both of which suck the sap from plants and excrete messy "honeydew" Whiteflies are resistant to most pesticides, but repeated applications of neem oil, a botanical pesticide, will kill larvae and adults. Yellow sticky traps are also effective.

* PREVENT CROCUS DAMAGE. As crocus come into bloom, stop sparrows and finches from shredding their delicate blossoms by placing foil pinwheels every few feet among the flowers. The flashing foil frightens away birds.

* SPRAY DORMANT PLANTS. Apply dormant oil on deciduous fruit and ornamental trees and shrubs to kill overwintering insects. Thoroughly wet all surfaces, including the undersides of leaves and branches. Dormant oil is not recommended for blue spruce because it may discolor the needles. With evergreens, test the spray's effect an a small, inconspicuous area before treating the entire plant.