This document provides a calendar of gardening tasks for the month of February in Southern California gardens. Key tasks include planting native plants, perennials, and grasses. It is also a good time to divide and propagate plants. Ongoing tasks are weeding, pruning to shape plants, and caring for new plantings with watering. Early blooming flowers make the garden colorful, and watching for pollinators is enjoyable.

1. February in the Southern California Garden
Each month has its special joys and tasks in the garden. Below is a suggested calendar for February. Remember that
gardening depends on the weather, so tasks may vary from year to year.
Best of Show:
 Flowers:
o Tree/shrub: Arctostaphylos spp, *Berberis (Mahonia) spp , *Ceanothus cyanus , Cleome isomeris, Dendromecon spp., *Garrya
elliptica, Rhus integrifolia & ovata, Ribes aureum;
o Smaller shrubs: *Calliandra californica, Encelia californica, * Viguiera laciniata;
o Annuals/perennials/bulbs: Early-blooming onions (Allium), Dichelostemma capitatum, Diplacus spp, Erysimum species,
Eschscholzia californica, Iris douglasiana, Layia platyglossa, Linanthus dianthiflorus
 Fruits/berries: Heteromeles arbutifolia ; citrus fruits are particularly showy
 Foliage: new foliage of many colors on shrubs, perennials; ‘Sunset’ and other manzanitas have red-orange new foliage
Planning:
 Remember to take pictures of key vistas in your garden every month or so; these will help you understand your garden –and its seasons -
better. It’s also fun to go back and see how the garden changes through the years.
 Start a ‘Bloom Calendar’ for key flowering plants in your garden. With climate change, this is more important than ever.
Hardscape/General:
 Renew your bog garden/pond garden
 Remove unwanted seedlings (Salvias; Encelia; etc.) and annuals growing in pathways
 Check hardscape, slopes, trees after heavy rains
Propagation:
 From seed: good time to start native shrubs/perennials and warm-season grasses in containers; start traditional summer veggies in
nursery containers – protect from frost
 Divide: rushes, cattails, other ‘rain garden’ and pond plants;
Planting: major planting month
 Excellent month for planting most native plants, especially perennials/sub-shrubs and bunch grasses
 Plant annual wildflower seeds in prepared areas for late spring color; you can serial sow Gilas & Clarkias every 2 weeks for flowers into
summer (with summer watering)
 Plant to fill in bare spaces, or replace plants that have not done well form previous plantings

2. Watering:
 Water-in all new plants; then water again a week later if needed
 Check soil moisture during prolonged dry periods (3 or more weeks) or windy periods; irrigate as needed to supplement
 Check seedlings daily in warm weather; water as needed
Pruning:
 Prune to thin:
 Clematis spp.
 Constancea/Eriphyllum nevinii
 Lepechina spp. – now or after flowering
 Coppice (severe prune) to rejuvenate old plants
 Baccharis spp.
 * Myrica californica
 * Carpenteria californica
 * Rhamnus spp.
 Rhus spp.
Weeds/Diseases/Pests: major weeding month
 Weedy cool-season grasses are becoming a menace
 Spring weeds: California burclover, filarees, many other cool season weeds are perfect size for removing now while ground is moist.
Edibles/Crafts:
 Enjoy native CA greens in salads, cooked as greens or in stews or soups
 Enjoy a cup of herb tea from you selection of teas dried last fall; your Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathaceae) may have leaves for fresh
 Continue to enjoy citrus fruits; find some new recipes to use them – or give them away
Enjoying the garden:
 Look for early-blooming bulbs – they are enchanting
 Enjoy the early-blooming wildflowers, including CA Poppy; take the time to really photograph them (you may have a hidden talent)
 Watch for early season pollinators, including native bees
 Take a class on some new aspect of gardening
 Volunteer at a local Preserve/garden or native plant nursery – a fun way to learn, socialize, give back
2/4/15