January Gardening Projects

"January is the quietest month in the garden. ... But just because it looks quiet doesn't mean that nothing is happening. The soil, open to the sky, absorbs the pure rainfall while microorganisms convert tilled-under fodder into usable nutrients for the next crop of plants. The feasting earthworms tunnel along, aerating the soil and preparing it to welcome the seeds and bare roots to come."
- Rosalie Muller Wright, Editor of Sunset Magazine, 1/99

Wintertime

We scattered 16-16-16 fertilizer around our home garden. We cut up and removed a large Douglas fir limb that fell in our backyard. We topped up the soil in our raised beds. We pruned overgrown shrubs. We raked and picked up branches in the backyard. We picked up Bruno's dog shit piles in the backyard. We also worked on the foundation for our new greenhouse.

Our garden in November