Each day my windshield is coated with yellow pollen grains from Douglas fir trees. Roadsides are crowded with blooming acacia trees. If you’re an allergy sufferer some plants are worse than others for you. What’s a gardener to do to mitigate scratchy eyes and congestion nearly year round where we live?
My plants are confused. Actually they know exactly what they are doing it’s me that’s confused. The mild winter, so far at least, has encouraged many of my plants normally still dormant at this time of year to start growing for the season. What’s a gardener to do when the roses, fuchsias, oakleaf hydrangeas and many other plants never really went dormant this year? Here are some February tasks that I’m going to be doing.