The Sustainable Garden
Planning, Bloom Gardens Winter Magazine, Upcoming Events, February Garden Tips & Checklist
Winter invites planning. Seed catalogs arrive. Garden sketches multiply. It’s tempting to believe that a perfect plan will prevent mistakes later.
But gardens don’t reward rigidity.
Overplanning often leads to frustration because gardens are living systems. Weather shifts. Plants respond differently than expected. Conditions change. When plans leave no room for adjustment, gardeners feel like they’re failing — when in reality, the system is just responding.
A useful garden plan is not exhaustive. It’s directional.
Instead of trying to map every plant, focus on a few guiding decisions:
Where water will be conserved or directed
Which areas will be intensively managed
Which areas will be allowed to be simpler and more natural
These choices shape everything else.
It’s also helpful to plan in phases. Decide what needs to happen this year — and what can wait. Many resilient landscapes are built gradually, with each season informing the next.
Over time, this approach reduces wasted effort and unnecessary replanting.
If you’re feeling pressure to “figure everything out” right now, consider stepping back. Observation is productive work in winter. Good notes today prevent poor assumptions later.
Next week, we’ll look back instead of forward — and talk about how reviewing last season can quietly improve the next one.
Warmly,
Ramona
Bloom Gardens, LLC
Bloom Gardens Magazine, Blog and The Sustainable Garden Newsletter
Bloom Gardens Winter 2025 Edition
Our most recent issue explores practical strategies for creating resilient gardens that thrive with less water — from plant selection to long-term design thinking.
Upcoming Events
February Tips & Checklist
Consider adding a smaller structure such as a low tunnel or a larger high tunnel to extend your growing season.
Try growing herbs and/or microgreens indoors to add fresh greens to your diet.
Try starting vegetables indoors from seed to get a jump start on the growing season
If storing bulbs, check their condition to ensure they are firm. Remove any soft or rotten bulbs.
Prune grapes and fruit trees in late February to early March.
Fertilize fruit trees (pg. 24) trees at least 6 weeks before they bloom.
Pests and Problems:
Monitor landscape for deer and rodent damage.
Avoid fungus gnat infestations in house plants by allowing the soil to dry between watering.
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