Saturday, February 7, 2026

What to plant for the February edible and decorative garden

Greens in portable greenhouse
Saturday, February 7, 2026

February is the time the garden begins to wake up, readying itself for the growing season in the Midwest, Upper South edible garden.  There are a few veggies that can be seeded outdoors and many that can be started indoors to give you a jump on harvests.  Using season extending strategies can also help you harvest sooner.  

Outdoor seeding
There are a few cold hardy veggies that you can sow outdoors in February.  Just about any variety that touts "winter hardy" are great ones to try in the February garden.
*Spinach seed can be scatter sown and will sprout when the temps are right.  Grow spinach-a super nutritious, easy green
*Peas can be tucked into pots and in the garden.  My granny would plant as soon as the soil could be worked, even with a little ice still in the soil!  My fav are snow peas since you can eat the whole pod.  Time to plant peas!
*Fava or broad beans can also be planted as soon as the ground can be worked.  Grow a European favorite-the fava or broad bean
*This is the time of year that asparagus can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked.  You won't be able to harvest the spears this year, but it gives the crowns the time they need so you can get a few next season.
*Mache or corn salad is also a super winter hardy green that can be sown directly in the garden.   Growing fabulous lettuce and greens

If you have a cold frame or portable greenhouse, you can also sow other cold hardy veggies under cover and they will get sprouting like lettuce, radishes, broccoli, cabbage.  

Outdoor transplants
*Blueberry bushes and shallots when soil can be worked.
*At the end of the month, hardened off veggie transplants of cabbage, endive, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, onions, pac choi, rhubarb, radicchio, scallions, shallots and spinach can be planted outside.  A spring edible garden
*Many herb plants can also be planted at the end of the month.  Chives, fennel, horseradish, parsley and thyme.  Start a kitchen herb garden!
Early March garden
Indoor seeds to start
There are many veggies that can be started indoors.  The trick to indoor seed starting is to not get too anxious and start seeds way before you can plant them outdoors.  Indoor seed starting tips

Seeds to start indoors now are the ones you will plant outdoors at the end of February and beginning of March.  Be sure to harden them off (gradually get them used to the outdoor temperatures) before putting in the garden or outdoor pot.

Asparagus, artichokes, arugula, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chard, Chinese cabbage, collards, eggplant, endive, fennel, kale, kohlrabi, leeks/onions/scallions/shallots/chives (if growing from seed), cold hardy lettuce, mache, marjoram, mizuna, mustard greens, pac choi, parsley, peas, radicchio, snow peas, sorrel, summer savory, spinach, and thyme.
Indoor sowing/outdoor planting dates

Outdoor planting tips
Be sure to harden off any transplants that you grew from seed before planting in the garden or outdoor pot.  You'll need to get your transplants used to the outdoor temperatures and direct sun.  I like to plant outdoors when the forecast is for overcast skies and warmer temperatures for a few days.

For your portable greenhouses, you can grab plants from there to plant in the garden and start more seeds in the greenhouse.  

You can also use season extenders like portable greenhouses, row covers and cloches to protect your new transplants and give them a warming boost for growing.  The biggest issue with greenhouses and cloches in the spring is they can be 50 degrees warmer inside them than the outdoor air so you have to be diligent in opening them up when the temps start rising into the 40's and 50's on sunny days.  Extend the season with protection for plants

Spring garden prep
Before you start planting, be sure your garden is in tip top shape for the growing season.  Do a soil test to see what nutrients are needed.  Add the nutrients at the beginning of the month so they are available to the plants when they go into the ground.  I like to add fertilizer and worm castings to each planting hole.

 Be sure to also apply your mulch on top of the fertilizer and minerals you add to the garden.  This keeps them from being washed off or in the case of nitrogen, being released into the air.  Weed free, self fertilizing, till free garden beds

If this is your first time gardening and want to get started but not sure how, try this blog.  Easy kitchen garden

Happy gardening!  
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Sunday, February 1, 2026

February 2026 Edible Garden Planner

 

Sunday, February 1, 2026

With the days lengthening, plants know that spring is just around the corner.  In our garden, the daffodils and hyacinths have broken ground and the edible greens growing under cover are growing taller.  We are behind the last few years because of the polar vortex that is keeping us 20 degrees below normal.  Indoors, plants are increasing uptake of water, all plants are putting on more growth.  It won't be long before the forsythias are in bloom and edible perennials are breaking ground.   

When your soil is workable, it would be a great time to test it and add amendments so they are fully incorporated when you start planting and to support the rapid growth coming of your edible perennials.  You can buy a kit for testing, take a soil sample to your local extension office or send off a sample for a more rigorous soil analysis.   The next step in garden production and your nutrition-soil minerals...  If you don't want to go to the trouble of a soil test, add a well balanced, organic fertilizer to your garden bed, cover with compost, and top with mulch.

February is prime time to start seeds indoors and sow cold hardy seeds outdoors.  You  can get a jump on garden harvest by starting seeds indoors.  It is easy and a budget friendly option that allows you to get spring and summer harvests sooner and to grow many varieties not available at your neighborhood nursery or big box store.  Besides, it is fun to watch green things grow!

Below is a calendar of what to start indoors and outdoors during the next month to get a jump on spring and summer harvests.  This is the earliest to start seedlings.  It is fine to start your seeds anytime after this timing as well.  To find your last frost date:  Frost date look up

Indoor seed starting dates (with an April 2 last frost date)
10-12 weeks prior to last frost (mid/end Jan in our Zone 7 garden)
Catnip
Endive 
Escarole
Fenu
Horseradish
Leek, if starting from seed
Mache
Mint
Mizuna
Onions, if starting from seed  Everything to know about growing onions
Rhubarb
Shallots, if starting from seed  
Strawberries  Back yard strawberries
Summer savory  

8-10 weeks prior to last frost (end Jan/early February in our Zone 7 garden)

For a full seed starting calendar through April, Indoor Seed Starting Calendar
For both seed sowing and outdoor transplant timing for edibles and flowers, Indoor sowing/outdoor planting dates

Outdoor plantings in February  
Asparagus, fruit trees and bushes, garlic, grapes, shallots, spinach and peas seeds can be planted in the garden as soon as the soil can be worked.  Outdoor seed sowing seed starting times  If gardening in mulched flower beds, I clear a small slit in the mulch and then sow the seeds and cover with potting soil.  Most seedlings are not quite strong enough to break through mulch.  As soon as they are fairly sturdy, I bring the mulch back in around the plants.
Seedlings in Aerogarden seed starting system
Seed Starting Tips
What are the tricks to successful indoor seed starting?  The most surefire I have found with a gadget is the Aerogarden with the seed starting tray.  I have almost 100% germination rate with it.

When starting in coir/peat pots, the key is using sterile seed starting mix, pots and containers.  You can make your own seed starting mix with peat moss or coir (renewable), compost, and vermiculite.  Just be sure to heat the compost to at least 150 degrees for 20 minutes to kill any pathogens before using to start seeds.

After filling the pots with sterile seed starting mix, plant the seeds at the recommended depth and water at the bottom (watering from the top can dislodge seeds).  After the mix has absorbed the water, the pots are ready to put in a catch pan.  Make sure any catch pan that you use has been thoroughly washed in a bleach solution so all pathogens are killed.  You want the soil mix moist and not sopping wet.

 Keep soil moist, but not wet, with the heating pad on during the day and off at night if using until seedling emerges.  You can use a spray bottle to spritz the soil to keep it moist.  Once seedling emerges, remove the heating pad.  If you don't have a grow light, place the tray in a south facing window for the best light.  I will use a heating mat when I start the summer lovers.

Make sure you label your seedlings as soon as you plant them; you may think you will remember 2 months from now what was where, but likely not.  I put the plant marker in the coir pot with the name on it when I plant the seed.  You can also keep a piece of paper under the seed starter that has captured for each cell what is planted in the cell.  

Your seedling’s first leaves are not “true” leaves; think of them as baby teeth.  The second sets of leaves are their true leaves.  They are ready to be hardened off when they have their first set of true leaves.  Seedlings must be hardened and not just thrown outside.  You take them out a little at a time, gradually increasing their exposure to sun and cold, only during the daytime.  I try and plant when there is a warm spell with clouds forecasted to minimize the shock.

There are great selections of herbs and veggies at nurseries and big box stores nowadays so you have many options just waiting until spring is officially here and picking up what looks good at your nearby store in a couple of months.  This is also a great back up if your first seed starting adventure goes a little awry...........

If you are putting in new garden beds as we are this year, here are some tips.  Put in a new garden bed the easy way-really  

I put together my 2026 garden plan early last month.  I'll continue to have my edibles in the flower beds and to also combine flowers with edibles in pots.  I did a lot of new perennials (edibles and ornamentals) from seed last year for the new beds we put in.  I'll fill in the holes from the ones that didn't make it with some other perennials.  I also have some more thyme and daffodils to put around the perimeter of the last bed we put in.  I'll have plenty of thyme and daffodils I can separate for those spots.  

  Here is what I definitely have in my garden every year or make sure I still have enough in the freezer to last another year:  herbs, chives, onions, spinach, lettuce as well as summer greens for salads, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, summer and winter squash, green beans, snow peas and lots of flowers!

For first time or busy gardeners, Easy kitchen garden 

Hang on, Spring is almost here!
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Saturday, January 31, 2026

My 2026 Gardening Goals

garden and artificial grass ...

Saturday, January 31, 2026

I looked back on my 2025 gardening goals to see how I did and what I want to strive for the 2026 gardening season for my edible and decorative garden.  I did pretty well against my goals.  Now is a good time to develop this coming year's goals with specifics.

 My 2025 goals were to have a plan, make it beautiful, maximize the production, attract pollinators, try new things and be proactive on pests.  I think I did decent against my goals.  My biggest regrets on last year's garden was our tomato and potato harvest was not what I had hoped.

I think the 6 overall goals are the same I want this year with some changes in how to take them the next step for the current garden.

Goal 1:  Have a plan.  I started planning at the end of the fall season what I needed to plant for 2026 so I wouldn't plant too much, plant a variety that didn't do well, or forget a variety that I wanted to try.  I wrote it all down this past fall and put together my 2026 plan so I am good there. My 2026 Decorative and Edible Garden Plan  I was successful in deterring the voles with my thyme and daffodil planting.  I'll just need to add them around the one new bed we put in in late fall.  I also have ordered a few heat and disease tolerant varieties to keep production through the summer going. 

Goal 2:  Make it beautiful.  My flower beds are dual purpose, production of edibles, fragrance and decorative.  Many flowers are edible, too.  Flowers that are edible  Many of the perennials I planted in 2025 did well.  I'll have to fill in the few gaps of the ones that don't make it through the winter.  My focus for beautifying is the hill next to the house that is not mowable.  I spread many seeds of annuals and perennials in the fall.  I'll do the same in late spring to hopefully get self-seeders going.  I'll also transplant the many flower volunteers that come up in the garden beds to the hill.  

Goal 3:  Maximize the production of edibles.  Continue succession planting.  Want continuous harvests? Succession planting!  Be more ruthless in pulling out what is past its prime to make room for the next round/season of edibles.  Continue to add compost to the beds each spring or fall.  Continue to do soil testing and work to get pH at the optimum level for edibles, 6.5-7.5.  The next step in garden production and your nutrition-soil minerals  Have ordered more heat  tolerant and disease resistant tomatoes for the heat waves we are having nowadays to keep tomatoes coming.  For potatoes, I will either take the sides down from the potato boxes when I plant or I won't plant them in the boxes so they get the sun they need early in the season to produce spuds.  Also ordered disease resistant cucumbers as the ones last year succumbed in August to disease.

I planted many bulbets of garlic this past fall and separated cloves.  I will need to keep an eye on them and space them out once the bulbets sprout in the spring so they can develop.  My potato onions didn't do much at all in their current spot.  I've been watering with whey to get the pH down in the optimal range for them but if they don't develop a lot of greenery come spring, I'll need to find another spot for them.

We bought a shed that we are converting into a greenhouse, potting shed and gardening storage.  After it is completed, I'll be figuring out how to leverage it for the garden.

Goal 4:  Attract pollinators.  As I chose the perennials, annuals and edibles, I will keep an eye to how helpful they are in providing food and habitat for pollinators.  All my pots with edibles include flowers.  Decorative container gardening for edibles  I'll be sure to have the water bath and keep the landing spot I added last year for both birds and insects.  I added a bee hive last year.  The marigolds, cock's comb and zinnias were buzzing in late summer and fall with bees.  I'll continue to plant these annuals for them.

Goal 5:  Try new things.  I am always seeing new varieties to try so that is not a hard thing to do.  It's more about improving all aspects of the garden.  I will continue to look for ways to improve productivity and deter pests naturally, like planting Dragon's Radish next to sprouting broccoli to deter caterpillars.  Part of my garden plan will be making sure I have a strongly scented plant about every 6 feet to deter deer.  This can be marigolds or herbs.    

Goal 6:  Be proactive.  I live in the country so no matter how well your garden plan is for deer defense, they are going to get really hungry come spring and again in the fall or doing any prolonged drought.  I want to continue to be proactive in keeping my deer deterrents refreshed before they get hungry enough that herbs don't keep them out of the garden. 
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Sunday, January 25, 2026

How to read seed packets for seed starting and planting your garden

Front of seed packet
Sunday, January 25, 2026

Seed packets are a wealth of information on the plant, its ideal growing conditions and when to start the seeds indoors and outdoors.  All give you the plant common and botanical name, many show you when to plant in your zone, when to plant in relationship to your frost date, how far apart to plant, what type of soil it grows well in, amount of sunlight needed for optimal growth, how many days from sowing until the plant is harvestable, and a detailed description of the highlights of the plant itself.  I love reading plant descriptions, looking for varieties that are "compact" and "prolific" for my small garden or "winter hardy" for winter gardening, or "heat tolerant" for summer gardening.  They give a wealth of information to decide what new variety or crop to try next.

On the front of the seed packet, you typically get the common name, the botanical name and a picture or drawing of the plant.  Some seed companies will also put a clay pot symbol on the front to indicate that the plant does well in a container (see pic of Burpee's seed packets below).  Many will also indicate if the plant is an annual or perennial (comes back every year).  Most also give a very short description of the plant.  They will also say if they are "organic" or "hybrid".  Some will also state if the plant is "open pollinated" or "heirloom".  

99% of what I grow is open pollinated or heirloom.  All heirlooms are open pollinated varieties that have been around for generations.  Open pollinated varieties come back "true" to their parents.  Hybrids won't necessarily come back the same as their parents.  I like saving seed from the plants that do well to plant again next year.    
Back of seed packet
On the back side of the seed packet there is a wealth of growing information.  You typically get when to plant the seed in relation to your frost date for both starting indoors and outdoors, germination time (how long does it take from when you plant the seed until it sprouts), how deep to plant the seed, any special treatment of the seed prior to planting, how far apart to space the seed, when/how to thin the emerging seedlings and days to harvest if it is an edible plant.  There is a longer description of the most desirable traits of the plant and which season it thrives in.  If a flower seed, it will give timing of flowering and height of the plant.   There will also be a date that the seed was packed for and a "sell by" date.  Unless you store in the refrigerator, germination rates dramatically decline after the first year and this varies by plant seed type.  I keep my seeds in the refrigerator in ziplock bags to keep them viable.  I have seeds that are over 10 years old and still have great germination rates.
Burpee's seed packet front even has the pot symbol for those that do well in  containers
Key attributes I am looking for to improve the productivity in my garden, I look for on the descriptors on the back.  Examples-if I want to maximize the harvest I get from a pepper plant, I will look for words like "prolific", "produces until frost", "continuous harvest".  If I am having a disease problem in my humid summer garden, I will look for words of "disease resistant", "powdery mildew resistant", "blight resistant" or whatever disease issue I am having.  For the best summer producers, look for terms like heat tolerant, thrives in hot temperatures, drought tolerant.  For the best cold season crops, look for terms like "winter hardy", "frost tolerant", etc.  If you want to harvest tomatoes all at once, look for the description "determinant".

With the crazy heat waves we are having now, I look for tomato varieties that do well in extreme heat.  Typical tomato plants produce sterile flowers at when temperatures are averaging 85F.  I'm going to buy a couple of new to me varieties that thrive in heat.  

For even more information about a particular variety, check on the seed company's web site or seed catalog.  When I first started gardening, I poured over Territorial Seed catalog.  Their catalogs have a detailed planting and growing guide for each family of vegetable seeds they offer.  Even now if a crop isn't doing the best, I will go back and look at all the great growing information that they have for every crop they sell seeds for.

I do look for varieties that have disease or pest resistance that I have experienced in my garden.  Squash bugs are a big problem in our area so I look for varieties that say they are squash bug resistant to try in my garden.  For example, I used to grow regular zucchini but they would also get ate up and diseased from squash bugs.  Now, I grow Trombetta squash that is not as attractive to squash bugs nor succumbs to disease.  

If you are growing flowers, what may be a strength for a vegetable can be a liability for a flower.  "Prolific" means it produces a lot which you typically want in a vegetable but in a flower that can be synonymous with "invasive".  A flowers that "self sows" means it produces many seeds that turn into more plants which can end up being invasive in your flower bed.  Think through what the descriptions mean for your bed and if it is a positive attribute or something you don't want to get started in your garden.

I use Johnny's Seeds web site for for their seed starting date calculator to plan out when to start my seeds indoors.  You plug in your last frost date and it spits out the dates for you on when to plant your seeds.  Baker Heirloom Seed puts out an enormous annual catalog that dives into the history and growing of different crops that I look forward to getting and reading every year.  They have a huge selection of all kinds of unusual varieties.  I try new varieties every year, along with the standbys that grow exceptionally well in my garden and garden conditions. 
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Saturday, January 24, 2026

Indoor seed starting calendar

Hydroponic seed starting

Saturday, January 24, 2026

It may seem like spring is a long way away this time of year.  Luckily for us gardeners, we get to start spring early!  End of January into February is prime seed starting time indoors.  I have outlined by month the plant seeds to start indoors between now and April for our Zone 7 garden.  It is wonderful to see the little green sprouts shooting up with promise of a bountiful gardening season right around the corner! 

Big box stores have their seeds and seed starting supplies in right now.  The variety available in big box stores continues to expand as more and more of us are growing our own food.  There are many open pollinated and heirloom varieties in stores.  If you are wanting something unique, try on line seed companies. Some of my favorites with a good selection of unusual, organic and heirloom vegetables, garden fruits and herbs are Abundant Life Seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, High Mowing Seeds, Johnny's Selected Seeds, Renee's Gardens, Seeds of Change, Territorial Seed Company, Seeds from Italy, Botanical Interest.   

Starting indoors is a great way to accelerate your harvest by up to two months.  Seed packets tell you how far in advance of your last frost date to start your seeds indoors or when to plant outdoors for "direct sowing" in the garden.  Just look on the back. Here is the Farmer's Almanac web page to look up your last frost date: https://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates  Our forecasted last spring frost is April 2 this year. 

January and February are primarily cold season crops seed starting time.  There are a few summer lovers that require a long growing season to produce that you can start this early.  Cold season crops include your greens, broccoli, cabbage, strawberries and peas.  What is a four season garden?   For more on cool season crops for your spring edible garden, see Spring edible garden

March and April is the time for warm season veggie and herbs to get their indoor start.  Summer veggies include beans, tomatoes, beans, basil, eggplant, peppers and squash.  For more on your summer edible garden, see A summer edible garden  In general, you want to start your seeds as close to the time as you can to putting out into the garden; sooner is not necessarily better.  It is perfectly fine to start your seeds later than the seed packet says.

Here is when to start seeds indoors for your edible garden.

10-12 weeks prior (end Jan/beginning of Feb in our Zone 7 garden)
Artichokes
Arugula
Bay
Broccoli
Cabbage
Catnip
Celery
Chives
Edamame
Endive 
Escarole
Fennel
Fenu
Horseradish
Leek, if starting from seed
Lettuce
Mache
Mint
Mizuna
Onions, if starting from seed
Parsley
Peas
Rhubarb
Shallots, if starting from seed
Strawberries
Summer savory
Sorrel

8-10 weeks prior (mid-February in our Zone 7 garden)
Bee balm
Celeriac
Eggplant
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lavender
Lovage
Marjoram
Mustard
Oregano
Rosemary
Scallions, if starting from seed
Spinach
Thyme
Turnips

4-6 weeks prior to last frost (March in our garden)
Artichokes
Broccoli
Chamomile
Chard
Cilantro
Comfrey
Fennel
Lemon verbena
Okra
Peppers
Raddichio
Sage
Summer squash
Tarragon
Tomatoes

April
Basil
Beans
Cucumber
Melon
Winter squash
Stevia

You can find more crops seed starting times in this blog  Indoor sowing/outdoor planting dates

Another trick is to do succession seed starting.  For continuous harvests of veggies like broccoli, spinach and lettuce, start new seedlings every 3 weeks and plant out every three weeks in the garden.  For the early seedlings, use varieties that are described as cold hardy.  When you get to April, start seedlings that are heat tolerant.  Heat tolerant varieties will resist bolting and bitterness at the first sign of summer.  Get the most from your space-plant intensively!

You can start perennial flowers and veggies indoors as well.  For any plant, look at the seed packet for when to plant outdoors according to your frost date.  Then back up the time from there on when to start indoors.  Typical seed starting is 6-8 weeks prior to the plant out date.  For more on perennial fruits and veggie gardens, Perennial veggies in the Midwest garden
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