Cozy is not a gardening word
Gardeners have a lot of favorite words but cozy is not one of them. Cozy vegetable gardens are not the norm; even a bed of roses is not a cozy bed.
Cozy, meaning warm and snug, is a word they are using right now as they want to stay out of the cold winds and die-hard rains that are so plentiful these past few weeks.
Gardening can be a chore at times – that will never change. Gardening with fur-lined gardening gloves and waterproof windbreakers is a bit much, even for a gardening enthusiast.
I shudder to think of the tender petunias and other small bedding plants swaying in the cold wind and trampled by the many heavy rainfalls we are forced to endure this season.
The weather will have its way and we will adjust as usual. The gardens may look droopy and bare, and we may lose a favorite plant or veggie, but soon the cold fronts will stop passing through and most things will put out new growth.
Trimming around the yard and gardens should be done carefully. A broken branch can be removed; however do not start trimming away carelessly just yet. A new cut will be a tender point on a plant and that will only cause more damage.
It is a temptation to just clip back a droopy plant but wait a bit, for the more lasting warm weather. It is good that the sun is shinning a lot during the cold spell. It is good that you do water the roots during sunny afternoon. Not good to water things every day, and remember everything must drain well.
It is not good ever to have water standing around in pots, cold or hot weather. Mosquitoes are not out there breeding as they do in the heat, however keep things emptied and be safe.
Poinsettias are losing their bloom. I still have one that looks full and happy, and one that is all leggy with only a couple of bright pink flowers. The plants are both on the lanai- one likes cold the other does not. I have tried over the years to figure out if it is the color that makes the difference, the size, the type of leaf, or maybe its location. I have never succeeded in proving anything.
You can keep the plant without any color and plant it out in soil when things warm up. Just clip it about a third, at that time, and plant it so that it does not get sun, or light over night. You will be surprised how big and tall and busy that plant will be if it is where it likes to be. They do need to be trimmed later on, so will mention that later.
The fallen leaves of the beautiful frangipani tree can just be mowed over by the lawnmower, they are good for the soil.
Gardeners, that word “cozy” is an appropriate word for this season.
February 14 is this weekend. A nice cozy breakfast in bed beats out a cold walk in the garden any day. Sometimes you just have to change your schedule.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Good luck keeping warm till we meet again.
H.I. Jean Shields is Past President of the Garden Club of Cape Coral