February

For most parts of California, we can continue the tasks we started in January, especially pruning and general clean-up. One unusual condition in our Mediterranean and arid climates is that spring-blooming bulbs, especially daffodils, may already be in bloom. Some may start as early as December due to insufficient cold soil to keep them dormant. This is usually not a problem for daffodils, but tulips, in particular, like to be refrigerated before planting when the temperatures are consistently cold. If your project is in snow country, it is best to plant them in the fall before the first snowfall.
By February, California has hopefully benefitted from its first rains of the season. Regardless of rains, mild-climate landscapes conditioned with supplemental irrigation will be vulnerable to weeds over the winter. Getting a handle on weeds over the winter means less labor through spring and summer. New landscape design trends concern “rewilding” and similar concepts in support of local flora and fauna. This means we must be intelligent about what we define as a weed, know what is formally classified as invasive, and who or what may benefit from “weeds” if we leave them in place.