By Connie Doyle, Master Gardener UF/IFAS
January may seem like a sleepy month in the garden, but in Northeast Florida it’s one of the most important times of the year for setting the stage for a healthy, beautiful spring landscape.
While plants slow down, gardeners can get ahead. One of the smartest January tasks is soil testing. Many common landscape issues can be traced back to pH or nutrient imbalance.
It’s also an ideal time to refresh mulch, aiming for a consistent 2 to 3 inches. With many trees bare, take a day to evaluate how light moves through your landscape – which areas receive full sun, partial shade or deep shade. This will be of great benefit in spring plant selections.
Finally, January is prime time not only for irrigation checkups – repairing broken, leaking sprinkler heads, coverage adjustments – but planning a new bed or refreshing an existing one.
Plant of the month: Snapdragon
Snapdragons get their charming name from the unique shape and behavior of their flowers. Each individual bloom resembles the head of a dragon, complete with an upper and lower “jaw.” When you gently squeeze the sides of the flower, the mouth opens and closes, much like a dragon snapping its jaws. This playful feature has delighted gardeners and children for centuries.
Today, snapdragons remain favorites in gardens not only for their long-lasting blooms and cool-season performance, but also for the whimsical history behind their name.
