Right this minute, especially if you live in the Northeast, most of our gardens are in hibernation mode. We might have some houseplants blooming, maybe an amaryllis or some paperwhites. As far as the outdoor gardens go, there still might be some snow to deal with and some February storms to come. In the meantime, the year has started, and it's never to early to begin planning.
Tools
There are some tasks you can start right now to ensure you have a successful planting season this year. The first thing I do every winter is organize all my tools. I don't know about you, but at the end of the season, I get lazy.
My tools end up scattered here and there. I might leave one in the shed, some in the garage and even a few in the house for small garden projects. Time to round them all up! The next step is to clean what you have and take inventory. What tools would be a great new addition to your collection?
Over the summer, I was introduced to my new favorite gardening tool. It is something that I couldn't imagine living without. During the Garden Bloggers Fling, I was properly introduced to CobraHead®, The Best Tool In Earth. That pun instantly won me over. I had to give it a try!
I am definitely guilty of putting off weeding for as long as I can. Let's be honest here, how many of us actually enjoy weeding? Early in the season it's not so bad. Then, come August, my yard starts looking like a jungle!
I was given a CobraHead® "mini" Weeder and Cultivator. This immediately made weeding feel much easier as soon as I tried it out. Weeding will always be a chore no matter what we do, but this does the hard work for you.
This handy tool is super light-weight with a comfortable and efficient handle. It weighs only 5 ounces and can fit in your pocket easily. It weeds, digs, cultivates, plants and more. I love how easily it breaks through my tough and rocky soil. As soon as I held it in my hands, I knew it would be my new favorite tool.
It has a blade that is a steel fingernail® and becomes an extension of your hand. When I use it, I feel strong and, most importantly, capable of accomplishing all my biggest gardening tasks!
Here are a few examples of what this versatile tool can help you do.
It weeds, cultivates, scalps, edges, digs, furrows, plants, transplants, de-thatches and harvests.
I also really appreciate how the handle is made using recycled material. Even the tool's tag is made out of 100% recycled paper. The tempered steel blade has a curve that makes it very easy to hang. If you are a homesteader, you will find even more uses for it. I bring mine into the barn with me when I'm cleaning out the chicken coop. It can really get into those hard to reach places and help you scrape up any mess. In 2018, The CobraHead® "mini" became a Green Thumb Award winner for being an outstanding new garden product!
Want to see the CobraHead® in action? Check out this video!
I'm partnering up with CobraHead to give THREE lucky readers a
CobraHead® "mini" Weeder and Cultivator.
Purchase Some Seeds & Bulbs
Now is a great time to start taking inventory of what you already have and highlight what you might need. There are so many great places to purchase seeds, bulbs and live plants for next season. A great way to become inspired and get those ideas flowing is to sign up for some catalogs. There are so many great gardening companies that offer free catalogs packed full of gardening favorites and even some new varieties to add to your garden. Here are some favorites I'm ordering from!
- Harris Seeds (Seeds, Plants, Bulbs & Supplies) - Founded in 1879, this Rochester, New York based company provides quality vegetable seeds, flower seeds, plants and supplies to gardeners throughout the US. They allow you to purchase in bulk, which I absolutely love! This is especially perfect if you are looking to fill your garden with a large amount of a certain variety like zinnias or sunflowers! Click here to request a catalog.
- Johnny's Selected Seeds (Seeds & Supplies) - Based in Winslow, Maine, Johnny's Select Seeds has been helping families and friends feed one another for over 40 years. They are committed to helping growers and gardeners succeed. They offer such a great selection of varieties, you will be amazed. You are bound to find what you are looking for! Click here to request a catalog.
- American Meadows (Seeds & Bulbs) - American Meadows, based in Burlington, Vermont speaks to both the dreamer and the do-er in me. They offer a vast selection of wildflowers, flower bulbs, ornamental grass seed and so much more. On the website, you can choose seeds that do well in your region and zone. Although they don't offer a paper catalog, you can find everything you need here.
- Longfield Gardens (Bulbs) - Based in Lakewood, New Jersey, Longfield Gardens provides high quality bulbs and plants to the home gardener. They believe that quality doesn't need to cost you more (love that!). You can look up bulbs based on your gardening needs. Some of the categories I love to browse include deer resistant, drought tolerant and for the butterflies. If you are a dahlia fan, head on over. They offer a huge selection featuring different sizes, colors and bloom styles. Right now, they are offering 20% spring orders using the code EARLYBLOOMS. Click here to take a look.
- Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (Seeds) - If you are looking for something unique and different, this is the place to shop. The year that I decided to take on a winter veggie garden, I bought all my seeds from them. I knew they would have varieties I couldn't find anywhere else. They introduced me to Elephant garlic, Japanese Giant red mustard greens and so much more. You bet your boots that the new Atomic Grape tomatoes are at the top of my list this year! Click here to request a catalog.
Other Favorites - Botanical Interests, Jung Seed, David Austin Roses, Floret Flower Farm, GrowJoy, West Coast Seeds, Burpee, Veseys Seeds, Prairie Moon Nursery, Select Seeds, Dutch Bulbs, Territorial Seed Company, Seed Savers Exchange, Michigan Bulb Co., John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds, Edmunds' Roses, Gurney's Seed & Nursery, Kitazawa Seed Company
Start Your Seeds Indoors
The first step when it comes to starting seeds is figuring out what you want to grow. Once you have your list ready, make sure you know what zone you are growing in. You can use a helpful first and last frost date calculator to help you find out when to start your seeds.
Gather your seed starting supplies from your local home improvement stores or even the companies listed above. Your seeds will need adequate lighting, warmth and special soil made for starting seeds. Take all of this into consideration while shopping for what you need. Once you have your supplies, you are ready to get planting!
Here's a list of what I will be starting this February based on my growing zone. I am from zone 6a, Massachusetts with a last spring frost prediction of May 2. I'll be starting most of these varieties at the end of the month.
Vegetables
- Onions (Walla Walla)
- Peppers (Flaming Jade serrano peppers, Hot Sunset banana peppers, Pretty N Sweet ornamental peppers, Sweetie Pie bell peppers)
- Tomatoes (Midnight Snack cherry tomatoes, Candyland Red cherry tomatoes, Mountain Merit beefsteak tomatoes)
Herbs
- Basil (Dolce Fresca)
- Chives
- Lavender (True & French Purple Ribbon)
- Oregano
- Savory (Summer)
Flowers
- Butterfly Flowers
- Chrysanthemums (Robinson Red)
- Foxgloves (Freckled Rose Princess)
- Impatiens
- Linaria
- Lobelia
- Snapdragons (Chantilly)
Ornamental Grass
- Grass (Bunny Tails)
For Indoor Use
- Baby Greens
- Cat Grass
- Microgreens (Ciao Bella Basil Blend)
Other seeds to start in February - Cucumbers, eggplants, Swiss chard, spinach, catnip, chamomile, coriander, dill, feverfew, lemon balm, mint, parsley, thyme, ageratum, alyssum, calendula, coleus, daisies, godetia, delphinium, nemesia, pansies, petunias, poppies, sweet peas, violas.
HINT: If you know how many weeks your seeds need to grow indoors before your last expected frost date, use this helpful date calculator to find your indoor planting schedule.
Now for some fun. Ready for the giveaway? Of course you are!
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119 Comments
Chris L
February 1, 2018 at 11:02 amBeen going thru my seed catalogs myself trying to decide the best plants to grow. You need to check out the Jung catalog & Pinetree Garden Seeds too. They both have some harder to find varieties at good prices.
Barbara G.
February 5, 2018 at 11:42 amThanks, Chris for the info about Jung and Pinetree Garden. I love finding harder to find varieties of veggies and flowers. The good prices make it even sweeter👩🏼🌾. Thanks again and I know you will have a great growing year. Plants 🌱 away🌿🍄💐🌻🌸🌝
Kim O
February 1, 2018 at 9:39 amI’ve been growing mint and i love it in teas and other foods.
Belinda Skuta
February 1, 2018 at 8:39 amIt will be my first time trying to grow vegetables. I want to try cucumbers and carrots. I heard they were easier. I just hope it goes well!
Alex S.
February 1, 2018 at 7:26 amI am excited to grow peas, beans, and tomatoes.
Kathleen Roffey
February 1, 2018 at 6:59 amI’m looking forward to growing tomatoes
nickie
January 31, 2018 at 10:56 pmI’m excited to grow cucumbers
ElizabethJKG
January 31, 2018 at 5:32 pmWhatever comes up I’ll be excited about. Not sure what will be surviving the winter. Too many squirrels have been digging around too. I will be planting more herbs like lavender and rosemary, some black raspberries, various flowers.
KarenB
January 31, 2018 at 11:23 amHave a lot of catch-up weeding to do this year and could really use this CobraHead® “mini” Weeder and Cultivator.
Amanda Wood
January 31, 2018 at 10:35 amI don’t get a lot of sun in my yard (so sad) but I’m excited to start my herb gardens soon!
Ann
January 31, 2018 at 10:12 amWhat a great tool! Winter is tough on all gardeners….seed catalogs keep us going!
Brittany Belcher
January 31, 2018 at 2:52 amGreat ideas! I’m excited to really dive into gardening for the first time this year.
Teresa
January 31, 2018 at 2:41 amI would love one. Great site….Here’s to Spring…😇😇😇
Jennifer
January 30, 2018 at 10:53 pmI think this year is going to be spent working to clean-up and maintain beds we put in last year…which means lots of weeding. And grass. Until I can convince the husband to let me put in the additional beds I want…we need some grass.
Pat
January 30, 2018 at 7:22 pmI’m excited to grow red bell peppers.
Linda Crisman
January 30, 2018 at 6:30 pmLove free tools and I’m ALWAYS fighting the weeds!!