If you’re like most of us looking forward to the New Year … it means NEW beginnings. Let’s take a look at what we, in zone 10A, can plant in January. To make the New Year easier, here is a list of what to plant:

1) Vegetables: With the coolest month, January, take advantage of this weather to plant beets, broccoli, collards, kale, cabbage or turnips. You can find a complete list and more information on vegetable gardening in Florida at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_vegetable_gardening.

2) Herbs: January’s cool temperatures will make your herbs thrive! Try planting dill, fennel, garlic, parsley, sweet basil, thyme and any mint plants.

3) Bulbs: The subtropics of Southwest Florida in January is a great time to plant bulbs. A few examples include amaryllis, rain lily and agapanthus.

4) Annuals: This is a perfect time to add color to your gardens with plants that enjoy the cooler weather — begonias, dianthus, Dusty Miller or Lobelia.

In your landscape, always remember “right plant / right place.” It’s winter and our sun has changed positions and we are in dry season. Please water daily any plant that you have planted for a month … this is true of anything you plant in every month of the year. The new plantings need to have a great start.

Believe it or not, January is a good time to prepare for our next hurricane season. Check trees for damaged or weak branches and prune as needed. Hire an ISA-certified arborist if you have a large tree you can’t handle. SAFETY FIRST … always!

Make sure your irrigation system is running properly for the best efficiency. A garden needs to be watered at least twice a week during our dry season which lasts 7.8 months, from Oct. 2 to May 27. Winters here are sunny and very pleasant and we’re lucky to have few dreary, gray days. Our winter is like a lovely spring day up North. I’m sure that’s why so many of us have moved to our paradise in Southwest Florida.

I would like to mention that Florida has an Arbor Day in January (the third Friday in January). Florida has celebrated Arbor Day since 1886. Let’s all plant a tree in our yard or community to celebrate.

Don’t’ forget to save this date for the Garden Club of Cape Coral’s biggest fundraiser “March in the Park” on March 11 at Jaycee Park, 4125 S.E. 20th Place. We will have over 1,000 plants for sale and have thrifty garden treasures, kids’ activity booth and 35-plus vendor booths. Look for our Garden Club members in bright yellow shirts with decorated summer hats!

March in the Park is a unique annual fundraising and community outreach event. Garden Club members work together to create a wonderful festival raising funds for scholarships, Cape Coral schools that operate school gardening projects and many other outreach programs. And we have great time doing it.

As the world is celebrating 2023, keep this in mind…

“There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.” – Janet Kilburn Phillips

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn

Ann Block is co-president of the Garden Club of Cape Coral