Florida Garden Checklist
Texas Garden Checklist

Indoor Blooms
There are lots of affordable, flowering plants available to brighten your home during the winter months. African violets, primroses, and kalanchoes come in cheerful shades you will love and are available in garden centers and nurseries. Care is simple. Place them in indirect light, away from heating vents. Soil should be well-drained and kept slightly moist. Do not allow plants to sit in saucers of water.

Tip: Set plants in brightly glazed pots, and enhance the colors of their blossoms by mixing them with the illuminating foliage of rex begonias.

To learn more about carefree foliage for your home, see "Easygoing Houseplants."

• Birds--This is a great time to view our feathered friends. Feed such as millet, thistle, and sunflower seeds will attract a wide range of birds. Hang feeders at least 5 feet off the ground. Water for drinking and bathing is appreciated. Nearby shrubs and trees provide places for refuge from the weather and future nesting sites.
• Fragrance--Add a little perfume to your yard. Try winter daphne (Daphne odora), growing 4 feet tall and 6 feet wide, and wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox), growing 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Another good choice is winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima), growing 8 feet tall and 12 feet wide. Plant them near entryways to enjoy the fragrance. Buy them now at garden centers, or order them from Woodlanders, Inc. ([803] 648-7522 or www.woodlanders.net).
• Seeds--Order seeds now for your spring garden to get the unusual or best selections.
• Camellias--In the Middle, Lower, and Coastal South, add common camellias (Camellia japonica) to your garden while they are in bloom, as long as the ground is not frozen. Early-blooming selections include 'Debutante,' 'Lady Clare,' and 'Daikagura.' Midseason selections include 'Kramer's Supreme,' 'Nuccio's Pearl,' 'Pink Perfection,' and 'Swan Lake.' Late-blooming selections include 'Purity' and 'Betty Sheffield Supreme.' The container-grown plants transition easier into the garden. Camellias prefer well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Plant in an area sheltered from sun and drying winds.
• Greens--Continue to harvest collards and kale. Harvest regularly by pinching off the leaves from the bottom up so that the plants will continue to grow.
• Garden notebook--Start the new year with a garden journal. Note the weather, plants in bloom, chores completed, and plants you added to your garden. Over time, these monthly observations will sharpen your gardening skills.