“Groundhog found fog. New snows and blue toes. Fine and dandy for Valentine candy. Snow spittin'; if you're not mitten-smitten, you'll be frostbitten! By jing-y feels spring-y.”

― The Old Farmer's Almanac

“February, when the days of winter seem endless and no amount of wistful recollecting can bring back any air of summer.” ― Shirley Jackson

 “The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds and swells the leaves within.” ― William C. Bryant

 “A small bird twitters on a leafless spray, across the snow-waste, breaks a gleam of gold. What token can I give my friend today? But February blossoms, pure and cold? Frail gifts from Nature’s half-reluctant hand. I see the signs of spring about the land. These chill snowdrops, fresh from wintry bowers are the forerunners of a world of flowers.” ― Sarah Doudney

 “Late February, and the air’s so balmy snowdrops and crocuses might be fooled into early blooming. Then, the inevitable blizzard will come, blighting our harbingers of spring, and the numbed yards will go back undercover. In Florida, it’s strawberry season shortcake, waffles, berries, and cream will be penciled on the coffeeshop menus.” ― Gail Mazur

“Probably more pests can be controlled in an armchair in front of a February fire with a garden notebook and a seed catalog that can ever be knocked out in hand-to-hand combat in the garden.” ― Neely Turner

 “February is the uncertain month, neither black nor white but all shades between by turns. Nothing is sure.” ― Gladys Hasty Carrol

• Hoping the groundhog doesn't see his shadow and scare away an early spring
• Watching the Super Bowl and being a bit sad that football season is one game away from being over.
• Rejoicing in NASCAR season is starting again.
• Practicing better eating and exercising habits in awareness of American Heart Month.
• Celebrating Valentine's Day with roses and chocolates.
• Observing Single's Awareness Day the day after the 14th if you failed to get roses and chocolates.
• Observing the birthdays of Lincoln and Washington and enjoying that 3 day weekend.
• Learning some history we may not have been exposed to in school.
• Playing the song American Pie on the day the music died.
• Having an Affair to Remember Month.
• Having ice cream for breakfast on the first Saturday of the month
• Performing random acts of kindness not just on February 17 but as many days as possible.
• Celebrating during Mardi Gras and then begin celebrating Lent on Ash Wednesday.
• Seizing the moment on Carpe Diem Day on the 26th.
• Rejoicing that spring is less than a month away.

• First week in February start broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower plants inside your home. 
• Plant English peas, onions, Irish potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, spinach, kale, turnips, and carrots the last week of February. 
• Plant asparagus crowns when soil is dry enough to work. 
• Plant fruit trees and grape vines while dormant, before buds open. 
•  Prune bunch grape vines this month. Prune blueberries this month. 
• Trim ornamental grasses like liriope, mondo grass, and pampass grass.
•  Cut back any overgrown shrubs. 
• Prune fruit trees, such as apples, cherry, nectarine, peach, pear and plum while dormant, before buds open. While pruning, remove leaves and clippings to prevent disease problems. 
•  Peach and nectarine trees need to be sprayed with a fungicide to prevent leaf curl. 
• Spray all fruit trees with dormant oil to help eliminate some insects. 
•  Cool season lawns like tall fescue should be fertilized. 
•  Divide perennials like daylily and shasta daisy when the ground is dry enough. 
• Hardwood cuttings of many landscape plants like Crape Myrtle, Flowering Quince, forsythia, hydrangea, juniper, spirae, and weigela can be taken this month. 

As stated last month our selection of houseplants varies from week to week.  Each week we get in a new selection to augment those that were left over from the previous week.  Usually we received new plants on Monday and Tuesday of each week, but holidays and such often disrupt that schedule.  We have plants in 4" pots, 6" pots, 8" pots, and 10" pots.  If you have need of a larger houseplant, let us know, and we will  check with our suppliers on availability.  This month we take a look at 3 more of the more popular and easy to care for variety of house plants.

Schefflera is a large genus of tropical plants that includes two species that make wonderful tropical houseplants. The larger Schefflera actinophylla (sometimes called the umbrella plant or umbrella tree) features long, shiny, oval green leaves that droop gracefully from a central stalk, resembling an umbrella. A mature Schefflera might have 12 to 16 leaflets from a single stalk, while an immature Schefflera is more likely to have four to six. Schefflera arboricola (sometimes called dwarf Schefflera) features smaller, glossy leaves, sometimes with creamy variegation. Other than the smaller size, it looks very similar to its taller cousin. The growing season for your Schefflera runs from April to September. During these months, you'll want to water it moderately so it can continue to grow. Water the soil until you notice water exiting from the bottom of your pot's drainage. This drainage shows your plant is well watered.

The summer months require more watering of your Schefflera; once a week is a good rule of thumb. In the winter, you can cut back on your watering. Always check on your plant accordingly, regardless of the time of year. All parts of the Schefflera plant are mildly toxic to humans and more seriously toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.

Norfolk Island Pine is not an actual pine tree but rather a relative of the monkey puzzle tree. It is often cultivated as a landscape tree in subtropical climates in North America (USDA zones 10 to 11) and grown indoors elsewhere. Growing to great heights, it has a straight trunk and pleasingly symmetrical branches covered with short, inward-curving needles. A Norfolk Island pine can grow big—up to 200 feet tall outdoors. Grown indoors, it gets 3 to 8 feet tall or may even be trained as a bonsai or miniature tree.  How often should you water a norfolk island pine? Water every 1-2 weeks, allowing soil to dry out between waterings. A tropical plant, the Norfolk Island Pine's potting mix can be kept semi-moist, but not wet, which will lead to root rot   Give indoor Norfolks bright natural light as much as your home allows. This encourages strong, healthy, horizontal branches with the graceful symmetry for which Norfolks are known. Normal indoor home temperatures are fine for this plant, but avoid placing them in drafty areas or near heating or cooling ducts.

Rubber Tree Plant

Ficus elastica, also known as the rubber plant, is an unusual-looking varietal native to the tropics of Southeast Asia. This long-lived plant boasts oversized, oval-shaped leaves with a rich emerald hue and can grow quickly, reaching up to 100 feet tall in its natural habitat. It's not the easiest plant for beginners because it's not very forgiving if it doesn't get the care it needs. However, it's more often grown indoors as a houseplant, where it can be planted and cared for year-round, and its size is kept more manageable.

When it comes to caring for a rubber plant, care is straightforward. It needs adequate light, moisture, and warmth (it is a tropical plant). Give it a southern or eastern exposure, but keep it several feet away from the windows, and you'll be rewarded with an exotic addition to your indoor plant collection.

A few from the first week of February's selection of  houseplants currently in stock: