Pacific Northwest Gardeners' January Checklist

As satisfying as packing away holiday glitter is, January offers a fresh start — whether switching accessories or planning a major remodel. The garden, too, reveals its bones, inviting contemplation: what color for a dreary corner, what new seeds to try, which plants need TLC.

Add Winter Cheer

A nursery visit on a gray day lifts spirits. Winter jasmine (Jasminium nudiflorum) — a favorite scrambler with cheerful yellow flowers for months — looks best tumbling over a stone wall or draped loosely on a fence/pergola. Nurseries also carry snowdrops and winter aconite (Eranthis spp.), two of the earliest bulbs. Rainbow primroses add instant color to containers or beds.

Check Saved Seeds

As holiday cards dwindle, seed catalogs arrive! Before ordering, test last year's seeds: place 5–6 on a damp paper towel in a lidded container. Germination takes 2–10 days. 75%+ germination = use them; less = plant extra or buy new. Parsnip seeds should be bought yearly; lettuce and radish stay viable ~3 years.

Dormant Pruning of Deciduous Trees

Sharpen tools and tidy deciduous trees. Quick guide:

1. Why now? In warm weather, sap rises — the tree's food supply. Pruning then removes that food. Dormant pruning wastes no resources.

2. Which trees? All upright deciduous — birch (Betula), maple (Acer), ornamental cherry (Prunus).

3. Why prune? Light/air penetration for health; remove dead/diseased branches; shape tree; reveal interesting bark.

4. How much? Remove all dead/diseased first. Then crossing/chafing branches. Never remove >25% of living branches (the "pruning budget").

5. How to cut? Cut to the branch collar (where branches meet, often wrinkled). Clean cut just before that. Hand pruners for small branches; loppers up to 1¾-inch diameter.

6. Don't: Leave stubs ("coat hooks"). Don't paint wounds — it can seal in moisture/microorganisms, causing decay.

Weeds

Weeds don't respect winter rest. Stay ahead with 1–2 hours weekly removal.

Container Care

Weekly tidying: snip dead flowers/leaves, especially pansies. Left on in rainy season, they encourage gray mold.

From my home to yours — happy new year; may your garden wishes come true.