“Love, exciting and new, come along, we welcome you.” Okay, so the theme song isn’t exactly about gardening, but if showcases my feeling. Welcome to all the new subscribers and listeners to my monthly newsletter, “In Your Backyard.” February is the time to gear up for gardening in Florida. It has definitely warmed up (thank you, La Niña), with new leaves pushing out and up, perennial flowers and shrubs available in the nurseries, and the urge to plant is in the air. Speaking of gardening and love, I want to send out love to all the garden clubs that I get to speak to. Talk about growing! Garden clubs are the place to be! Pictured above are one of the fun activities of holiday floral arrangements. The beautiful floral centerpieces were created by members of the New Smyrna Beach Garden Club for their February meeting. I mention garden clubs frequently in my talks and on my radio show, Better Lawns and Gardens, because garden clubs are so active, inside and outside, and welcoming. If you are new to Florida and interested in learning about gardening and learning about your landscape, join a local garden club! You can find a garden club near you on the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs website.

February is when showstopping pink Trumpet trees start to bloom. Appropriately named, the flowers of the Trumpet tree resemble the musical instruments. Fast-growing and relatively pest-free, Handroanthus impetiginosus, make a beautiful street tree. I think that a neighborhood of Trumpet trees would be a strong challenger of cherry blossom trees in Spring. Did you know that Trumpet trees, also called Ipê, Ironwood, and Brazilian walnut, is also one of the strongest and hardest woods on the globe. It is considered the best lumber to use for composite decking? Known for its fire, insect, and scratch resistance, Ipê decking is also cooler to bare feet. Ipê lumber sold in the United States is harvested legally and sustainably.

With the summer-like temperatures already upon us, you’ll love all the different flowers, herbs, trees, and vegetables you can plant in February. It’s also a short month to get those landscape chores done. Just a couple of quick tips: Don’t plant rye seed anymore – as the temperatures reach 80 degrees and above, it will quickly decline, and be leery of buying beautiful winter annuals blooming like delphiniums, foxgloves, and pansies. With the heat, if they last a month, you will be lucky. Read what you should do in February here.

Congratulations to Lizzie who has her hands full of love in this month’s adventure. You can read more to see her new bundles of joy.

My Plant of the Month is also one of my favorite tropical topics. It’s a low-maintenance, colorful plant that looks good in the ground, in the air, or as a thriller in your pool garden container. With over 2,700 species to choose from, it’s not hard to become addicted to collecting all the these beautiful varieties available in Florida.

Thinking of wearing white cottony outfits, summer trips to the beach, visiting coastal lighthouses, and promenade through beautiful gardens? Join me and other garden lovers as we tour the ‘Gilded Age’ vacation destination of the rich, Newport, Rhode Island. We will attend the premier Newport Flower Show at Rosecliff Mansion, stroll the coast on Narragansett Bay, take photos of yourself next to life-sized animal topiaries, and meander on the grounds of New England’s finest estate, Blithewold Mansion and Arboretum, where you can view Champion trees and Giant sequoias, relaxing with afternoon tea, and more. Only 6 more spots left. Dates are June 19th – June 23rd, 2025, 5 days, 4 nights. More Information.

Send me your garden questions and comments. Thank you for reading “In Your Backyard.” I love knowing you are out there!

February Calendar

Average temperature High 74 Low 51

Rainfall 2.35 inches

Central Florida’s average last frost date; February 15.

What to plant

Vegetables: Plant through mid-month; beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collards, endive, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, peas, potatoes, radishes, Swiss chard and turnips. After mid-month plant; beans, cantaloupe, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, luffa, peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes and watermelon.

Flowers: Alyssum, aster, baby's breath, bacopa, begonia, candytuft, carnation, calendula, coneflower, coreopsis, cosmos, dahlia, delphinium, dianthus, diascia, dichondra, dusty miller, false heather, four o'clock, gaillardia, gaura, gazania, geranium, gerbera, Johnny-jump-up, lobelia, million bells, nasturtium, pansy, petunia, rose, salvia, snapdragon, Stokes aster, sweet pea, and yarrow.

Herbs: Anise, basil, borage, chives, dill, fennel, lemon balm, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram, tarragon, and thyme.

Bulbs: African iris, amaryllis, Amazon lily, Asiatic lily, blackberry lily, blood lily, bulbine, caladium, canna, crinum, day lily, gladiolus, gloriosa lily, Louisiana iris, society garlic, spider lily, rain lily.

Lawn care

• Zoysia and Bahiagrass lawns turned brown due to cold; no special care is needed at this time.

• Mow zoysia lawn to recommended height of two inches and remove thick thatch.

• Those brown spots in lawns are likely weeds; remove and resod when grass is available.

• One way to control weeds is with regular mowing to reduce them to the height of the lawn.

• Cool season weeds can also be spot treated with herbicides as labeled for your lawn type.

• When previous brown patch disease has been noted, apply fungicide for lawns according to label instructions.

• Crabgrass preventers can be applied mid-month to stop annual warm seasonal weeds from germinating.

• Do not use crabgrass preventers if you plan to resod, seed or need runner growth.

• Seeding of ryegrass for a temporary lawn is over; most permanent lawns should recover soon.

• Tan to brown cold damaged blades can be left or raked from lawns as growth begins.

• Delay feedings of centipede and zoysia lawns until they regreen for spring in April.

• Inspect irrigation systems; check for clogged or broken sprinkler heads and adjust as needed.

• Check rain shut-off devices to ensure they are working correctly.

• Sod or plug new lawns; begin seeding after mid-month.

• Turf is hard to establish in shady sites; consider another ground cover.

• Take time to have a soil acidity test made and readjust the soil pH if needed.

• Aeration can help older and overfertilized lawns with compacted soils, nematodes or hard to wet soils.

• Service lawn care equipment before spring arrives.

Vegetable & Fruit Gardening

• Frosts and freezes have ended many warm season crops; remove declining plants.

• Prepare gardens by tilling in organic matter with sandy and previously planted sites.

• Hurry to plant the last of the cool season vegetables in early February.

• Start seeds of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants now to have transplants by March.

• Prune cold damage from tropical tree and shrub type fruiting plants as needed.

• Bananas and papayas may have been frozen and need heavy pruning or replanting

• Pineapples may yellow their leaves and need major pruning but the plants should survive.

• Prune all deciduous fruit trees and vines as soon as possible.

• Learn how to thin peach & nectarine trees to obtain the best production.

• Plant container gardens to enjoy vegetables and herbs on porches and patios.

• Fertilize, groom and harvest herbs to keep them producing, dry and store extras.

• Warm season vegetables planted in late February are likely to need cold protection.

• Support vining crops by tying the vines to a stake or trellis.

• Plant additional fruiting trees, shrubs and vines.

• Purchase new seeds for the garden early to obtain the best selections

• Check with your University of Florida Extension office for new and better fruit varieties.

• Pine bark fines can be used to help adjust the soil acidity for blueberry plantings.

• Feed all fruit producing trees, shrubs and vines in late February.

• Use fallen leaves to form pathways, add a mulch to gardens or make compost.

• Sharpen, shovels, hoes and pruners to have them ready for spring planting and plant care.

In the landscape

• Take an inventory of cold damaged plants that may need to be replaced.

• Prune cold damage plants when you cannot stand seeing the brown leaves and branches.

• Plants may continue to decline due to cold so keep the pruners handy

• Perennials may be dead to the ground but should begin growth with warmer weather.

• Prune all but late winter and spring blooming trees and shrubs as needed.

• Reshape overgrown and out of bounds plantings including hedges.

• Only prune seed heads, small stems and suckers from crape myrtles.

• Prune ornamental grasses to within a foot or two of the ground before growth begins.

• Remove declining fronds and fruiting stalks from palms; leave the good green foliage.

• Give all but climbing roses a first of the year pruning around mid-month.

• Trim climbing roses after spring blooms to only remove dead or out of bounds shoots.

• Look for Florida bulbs to plant at garden centers to obtain the best selection.

• Move poinsettias to the landscape on warm days and apply a slow release fertilizer.

• Begin landscape tree, shrub and flower feedings if needed for growth and foliage color.

• Feed container gardens every other week or use a slow release fertilizer.

• Replant declining container gardens.

• Start seeds of warm season annuals and long-lasting perennials.

• Maintain a mulch around trees starting a foot from the trunks; six inches from shrubs.

• Prepare new flower beds; add organic matter to sandy soil.

• Plant bare root and container grown trees, shrubs and vines.

• Begin every other week feeding of orchids by month’s end or apply a slow release fertilizer.

• Start compost piles from leaves and yard debris plus thin layers of soil and a little fertilizer.

• Divide and transplant perennials.

• Clean lily ponds to prepare for spring growth.

Foliage and house plant care

• Many outdoor foliage plants show signs of decline: remove affected portions as needed.

• Replace severely cold damaged foliage plants when the weather warms.

• Check previous indoor plant additions for mites and insects.

• Most holiday plants can be grown outdoors when the weather warms.

• Give Christmas and holiday cactus a bright spot in the home; water when they start to dry.

• Remove faded flowers and stalks from forced amaryllis bulbs; add the bulbs to the garden.

• When indoor orchid flowers fade, move the plants outside to a warm shady site.

• Groom indoor foliage to remove old leaves, faded flowers and declining portions.

• Trim indoor topiaries and tree like plants to control size and shape.

• Feed all container plantings.