Tilting Toward Spring

The month of February seems to have one leg planted in winter, the other tilting toward spring. Indeed, we just passed the astronomical midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.

A snowstorm can turn to rain, or the brightening sun can set icicles to dripping. Inside, houseplants (and people!) are beginning to revive with the lengthening days.

At The Old Farmer's Almanac, the gardeners among us are designing elaborate beds in our minds and reading seed catalogs. Join us! See our tips on ordering seeds. We have also updated our list of mail-order sources on Almanac.com.

Making Readers Smile

Did you know that The Old Farmer’s Almanac increases knowledge, inspires fun, and puts people in a good mood? Click here for a free preview of the Almanac.

Purchase our 2009 Hardcover Collector’s Edition—and you’ll receive 4 FREE gifts with your order (a $23.98 value): the best-selling 2009 Gardening Calendar, the 2009 Recipe Calendar and the 1909 and 1809 historic replica editions of the Almanac.

Music Lovers
Today is the 200th anniversary of composer Felix Mendelssohn’s birth (born February 3, 1809). This year, symphonies around the world perform his music in celebration.

Stargazers
Tonight, February 3, the gibbous Moon passes in front of the Pleiades star cluster.

Look for them high overhead in the western sky around 10 P.M. Eastern Standard Time. They’re a superb sight through binoculars.

Which stars are in the Pleiades cluster? Find out.

To dream of a clear Moon portends success.

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Winter Gardening

Test buds of peaches and other sensitive fruits for freeze damage. Bring in a few twigs cut from the trees and place them in a vase of water. If the twigs bloom in a week or two, expect blossoms in the spring and a crop next summer and fall.

Cut poles for peas, beans, and other climbers now. Peel off the bark and set them in a dry area until they are needed.

Keep this in mind while pruning: Fruit usually grows on the horizontal branches rather than the vertical ones. Vertical branches may be trained to become horizontal by weighting them down for a few weeks.

Consult our winter pruning guide for more pruning tips.

For more gardening ideas, go to our Gardening Pages.