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SLUMBERING PREDICTION

On February 2nd, all the attention is directed towards the little furry, buck-toothed critter known as the ground hog. On this day he ventures out of his burrow to make a prediction about our upcoming weather; six more weeks of winter, or an early spring.

If the day is sunny, he will see his shadow and there will be six more weeks of winter. If the sky is cloudy there will be no shadow and he will stay above ground, signaling an early spring is coming.

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Sweetheart BOUQUETS

A popular gift for Valentine's Day is a colorful blooming pot of hyacinth, tulips or daffodils. If you receive any from your sweetheart, keep them in a cool location to prolong the blossoms.

They like bright light, but strong direct sunlight should be avoided because it will ripen the flowers too quickly. Keep soil moist, and turn the pots regularly to keep stems upright.

Once your gift plants have finished flowering, it is recommended you discard the bulbs. If you decide to keep them to plant outdoors in your garden, don't be disappointed if they fail to bloom again. If they do, most times the flowers are small and spindley, looking nothing like the gift plant you received.

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WINTER DAMAGE

If you are seeing any yellowing or bronzed foliage on your evergreens, especially arborvitae and yews, most likely its damage from the sun and harsh winter winds. The moisture that is lost from the leaves now can't be replaced because the roots are in frozen soil, and what you are seeing is the results of burning and drying.

During any mild periods or thaws, try and give your shrubs a good watering to help with the moisture loss. Another method of prevention is to apply an Anti-desiccant spray to the foliage of your evergreens and shrubs. The spray coats the leaves and protects the foliage from winter damage.

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HOUSE PLANTS

If you grow any plants on your windowsills or very close by, I'm sure that you have taken notice how they become one-sided. Plants have a natural tendency to lean towards the light, so turning them regularly should help correct this problem.

When your house plants begin to grow tall and lanky, this is probably an indication that they are "tip-growers". What that means is that they expand from the growing points and will rarely sprout new growth from the older mature stems, unless the plants are cut back severely.

Rather than nurturing an unsightly, leggy plant, hoping for it to someday sprout new leaves at the bottom, why not start new plants from the young shoots. Just cut them off and stick them in vermiculite, perlite or a sand-peat mixture to root. Begonias, coleus, iresine, geraniums, impatiens and fittonia all benefit from this practice, and its also a great way to get new plants.