Central Plains Gardener's January Checklist

Sow your garden dreams while poring over seed and plant catalogs and maybe getting crafty in the shed

Benjamin Vogt December 28, 2012

Houzz Contributor. I'm a big advocate for bringing the tallgrass prairie into our urban lives -- only 1% remains, making it more threatened than the Amazon rainforest yet also as effective at sequestering CO2. I own Monarch Gardens LLC, a prairie garden design firm based in Nebraska and working with clients across the Midwest. I also speak nationally on native plants, sustainable design, and landscape ethics while hosting online classes. I'm the author of A New Garden Ethic: Cultivating Defiant Compassion for an Uncertain Future. In the coming years we want to restore a 40+ acre prairie and host an artist residency program.

Houzz Contributor. I'm a big advocate for bringing the tallgrass prairie into our... More

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Here we go! It's the dawn of a new year, and the sun is already getting higher. If dreams of sugarplums danced in your head recently, now the visions are of Blazingstar and Indian grass, right? You can order seeds and get them started toward the end of January, or dog-ear all the catalogs and make a list you won't need to check twice. How will you make the garden your special place of refuge and joy this year?

Missouri Botanical Garden

Plan next year's winter interest. Everyone talks about redtwig dogwood, but no one mentions yellowtwig dogwood (Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea'). It's as bright and interesting as its better-known sibling but can be more adaptable — though it prefers moist to medium soils in full to partial sun. Plant some en masse once the soil thaws in March so next winter the garden will be a bit brighter.

Missouri Botanical Garden

Speaking of winter interest, have you tried weeping bald cypress (Taxodium distichium 'Cascade Falls')? It's beautiful when laced with snow. It's reportedly hardy to zone 4, but I've experienced some dieback in zone 5 when it reaches negative 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

In the fall, the deciduous conifer weeping bald cypress turns lovely shades of orange and rust as it loses leaves. A small tree, it can be trained however you like quite easily, as it grows fast. It takes wet to medium soils in full to partial sun.

Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Dream of spring flowers. Plant and seed catalogs will be coming in the mail like gangbusters — this is a boon to both the struggling postal service and any winter blues you might be having. It's time to dream about what to plant and how to improve the landscape. If you're impatient, you can sow most catalogs directly into snowdrifts. (This may also help you figure out what flower you want to go where come spring.)

Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Start seeds. If you want to try seed starting, January is when you need to order supplies and get set up. A simple shelving unit with grow lights, heat mats and timers works great. Don't forget a fan, which will make the seedlings stronger and prevent diseases.

You can also just place pots on a south-facing windowsill, unless you have cats who did not like their Christmas presents and want to let you know about their displeasure.

Some seeds require being rubbed with sandpaper; others need to be placed in a moist paper towel in the fridge for several weeks. Others, like most prairie grasses, will be good to go without any pretreatment. For me, the best bet is a container of seeded soil left outside over winter so nature can do the work.

Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Build garden architecture. Gardens need benches. Gardens need interesting benches. Go on Etsy and you'll find all kinds of hand-crafted legs, like the ones shown; any local recycled-goods shop will have wood for the seat. (The lumber here cost me $3.)

It's simple and elegant. Go into the garage, turn on the space heater and create some easy architecture for your garden.

Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Frame the garden vista. Trees and benches create visual frames and places for the eye — and body — to rest on in the garden, especially in winter. This simple and widely adaptable evergreen arborvitae Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald' will grow to 3 feet wide and 10 feet tall in less than 10 years, and harbor many winter birds.

Think of what shrubs and small trees you could insert into your garden come spring that will accentuate or anchor the vista. Dream about the possibilities for your garden this month and begin to make those dreams happen. Build that bench. Sow those seeds. Salivate over catalogs. Winter gives us time to get excited and learn new ways to garden — embrace it.