February Does Have a Purpose After All | Letter from the Editor

Ever question if Valentine ’s 24-hour interval was invented to make February a second less miserable ? I know — that ’s not the literal understanding . But it would make sense , would n’t it ?

I find February to bethemost cheerless month as a gardener . Perhaps some of you live in areas where you are realise signs of spring already . Here in New England , we do n’t often get to go through that glimmer of hope . At this point in the calendar , we have been through snowy ( and frenetic ) December and frozen January , and we ’re now in the midst of the serious gray stagnation — and beleaguer by chocolate-brown snowbank that have long overstayed their welcome . It is , quite frankly , madden .

To aid myself cope , I wish to split the horticulture class into four quarter : preparation , Planting , Caring , Cleaning . This enable me to reclassify February from “ Depressing Third Month Without horticulture ” to “ Hopeful Month of Plotting My Spring Attack . ” These are the weeks that I lay out large plans , like the elongation of our bluestone patio , and forecast the materials I ’ll need and the price associated , which often head to a rejiggering of the original estimation . You ’ll also discover me crap a million lists of plants : that I need for filling holes , that I want for my containers , or that I pine for but probably ca n’t give . ( I see you ‘ Lady Sunshine ’ dive tree , and one day , you will be mine . )

How much of this comes to fruition depends on the year . But I ’ve realize that the decimal point of all this February provision is to give my gardening soul a hike when it needs it most . It ’s not necessarily about the world of what I might accomplish .

It does help that I get to work on the early saltation number of a gardening magazine during the depths of winter , and this special edition gave me lots of inspiration . For instance , I ’ve summate several colorful plantsfrom the regional reportsto my “ must - have in 2025 ” list . If I follow through on institute these gems , perhaps next year I ’ll be less low-spirited because I ’ll know that spring , when it finally get , will be dramatic .

If you ’re feeling the February funk too , I suggest flipping through thefollowing pageswith a notebook and a pen nearby , because I can almost secure breathing in will strike . So it seems the most uncheerful month has a purpose after all — it ’s just a piddling hard to see it under all the brown slush .

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