February in the Mid-Atlantic is when winter really shows up. It is icy and cold, and the snow blows in drifts, then for a few days there is a break and the whole earth thaws. Of course, that means, slushy, muddy gardens and sad, waterlogged plants. It is certainly not a banner month in the garden.

This month I've decided I am finished with winter. I am finished with last year's growing cycle, and I am ready for the fresh and new growth to come. This month I am looking straight forward toward spring, enjoying the little bit of green I can grow indoors and counting the days until the robins come home.

More regional garden guides Amy Renea Enjoy the last leaves. A few stalwart trees are bravely hanging onto their very last leaves despite the insistence of rain, sleet, ice and hail. Pretty soon even these will give up the ghost and step out of the way for new growth, but for now they seem to still celebrate the year gone by. Amy Renea Break out the plans and seeds. I am done with the year gone by and am starting to ache for spring. The snow has gone from fluffy and fun to slushy and gross here in the Mid-Atlantic, and I am ready to move on. That means breaking out those garden plans again, along with seed packets, to plan, plan, plan. Barbara Pintozzi First on the list? Poppies! I was out this morning direct-sowing poppies in the snow. Hardy seeds like poppies need a bit of the freeze-thaw cycle to quickly and easily germinate in spring. Amy Renea I'll start other seeds later this month in newspaper pots. Filled with soilless starter, these little pots will be the basis of my summer annual garden filled with bachelor's buttons, sunflowers and zinnias. Amy Renea Grow plants indoors. I can't stand the absence of green, so with the outdoors completely inhospitable to plant growth, I have to grow plants indoors. Many herbs are tough enough to grow indoors for a few months, and purslane might be the toughest of all. This trendy, acidic addition to gourmet plates is often thought of as a weed, and it grows like one. One plant indoors will keep you stocked all winter long. Amy Renea I also like to plant in my pantry just about anything that crosses my path in winter. A favorite are the tops of pineapples! Chopped off like normal and planted, these pineapple heads will die off, then regrow into a pretty houseplant. If you want to see another pineapple, though, you'd need a very big pot and massive amounts of sunshine. Amy Renea Ginger is another favorite pantry plant of mine. Simply plant a chunk of fresh ginger that has a couple nodes (the little bumps) on it. Do not peel the sides; simply chop off a piece and plant it. Amy Renea Several weeks later, beautiful ginger leaves will bust up those winter doldrums free of charge! Amy Renea Savor teatime. Another favorite activity each winter is to use up all the tea I have saved and dried. Peppermint is typically my leaf of choice, enjoyed with some local honey. Amy Renea Of course, these winter activities are just the precursor for what will come in the garden in just a couple more months.

Spring is on its way, and I, for one, am ready. I am watching those fuzzy magnolia buds for the very first crack and hint of pink, scanning the ground each morning for the first signs of crocus and snowdrop, and listening for the birds that have started reappearing to scope out new nesting spots. It might seem like winter is dragging on, but spring is marching toward us like a grand parade. Get those garden boots ready. It is almost time!

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