Happy Groundhog Day!

It matters not what a groundhog in Pennsylvania says ... here on my corner of Katy,blooms on the Freesia laxa*, pictured above, are only the first of many harbingers of spring. Clear sunny days in the mid-60s encourage a gardener's thoughts to turn to such things as pruning. Winter-damaged plants look very shabby right now and it's very tempting to venture forth with Felcos and loppers to remove the dead wood. This being south central Texas, however, there's no guarantee that winter won't make a sudden and vicious return so gardeners would do well to be not only vigilant but patient. The Head Gardener is lamentably lax on both counts ... she falls into the "do as I say, not as I do" category. However, in two weeks' time, she can let herself run rampant with pruning tools, secure in the knowledge that any plants pruned will not suffer any lasting damage from subsequent winter weather.

*When I first bought these small bulbs several years ago, they were known as Lapeirousia laxa. They've since been reclassified but I much prefer the old name. It's much more fun to say!