‘Month-By-Month Gardening in Illinois’ by James A. Fizzell
Everyone should own this book! James Fizzell writes for gardeners of all levels of interest and expertise. The book is well organized and easy to use as we garden through the year. I didn’t start 2021 with this book because I was busy bidding farewell to 2020 (actually slamming the door) and most of January is about planning, not planting, anyway.
The book is organized in sections such as annuals, houseplants, perennials, trees, water and bog plants, etc. Once past the first pages that cover the basics of gardening in Illinois, skip to the section about the plants that you would like to grow.
Here’s what I’m going to do in February:
Page 81 – Scattered throughout the book is a plethora of useful information, such as, “Dispose of drainage water that runs out of the bottom of the pot when you water.” Leaving the extra water allows soluble salts to endanger the plant. You will recognize the white crust on the top of the soil or around the edge of the pot. I will be taking a good look at the saucers that sit beneath my houseplants. They’re probably full of water. I love to water. But now I know.
Page 212 – I’m going to rejuvenate my red twig dogwood by cutting it back almost to the ground. (Matt, please check your calendar and let me know when you can come over with your chainsaw. Love, Mom) Too many older branches overwhelm the pretty red ones. But wait to prune shrubs that flower in the spring or you will remove the flowers that we are so desperate to enjoy.
Page 241 – It’s also a good time to prune trees – or call an arborist to do it for you. My crab apple has some branches that need to be removed because I saw a squirrel run up the tree, scamper across the branch and then onto the roof. No good can come of squirrels on the roof. They will find a way into the attic and make a big, big mess. Or die in there.
I hope that this book will help you become a better gardener, guided by its timely advice. It’s a great help to me!
