I believe 2026 will be full of flowers because I am planting them. The work we put in today will show in spring and summertime, so here are some things you can do to get your garden ready while we are still dreaming of warmer weather.

February is a great time to get your seeds started for spring, so check on things: make sure you have all the supplies you need and that your indoor grow lights are functioning properly. Repair or replace any damaged items (pots, lightbulbs, etc.) and put together your garden plan. Be sure to check out Texas A&M University’s website for more information on your plants’ growing recommendations.

Get organized! It’s difficult to know what you need more of if you don’t know what you have. Use this month to inventory your seeds and your starters. Take the time to organize your seeds in order of what you’ll need to start first indoors, all the way down to what you will directly sow.

February is your deadline to prune trees and shrubs that bloom on new growth; they won’t be dormant for much longer.

Early to mid-February is vegetable planting time for cool-season crops such as onions, Irish potatoes, radishes, greens, lettuces, spinach, sugar snap peas, carrots, broccoli (transplants), beets, Swiss chard, and turnips. Early planting ensures a good harvest before the summer heat arrives. [K. Hanson 2012, TAMU Agrilife Website]

Don’t forget to take care of your lawn. Apply pre-emergent herbicides in mid- to late February for weed control, but only if weeds were a problem for you last year. If you need to move small trees or shrubs to a new location, now is your chance to do that as well.

I believe that your 2026 will be full of flowers too; flowers, fruit, trees, and all of the other beautiful things that you decide to plant this year. Gardeners will always live somewhere beautiful, because we choose to make it so.   

A great resource for all gardeners is the Smith County Agrilife Help desk. You can email them at  smithmghelpdesk@gmail.com or call 903-535-2994

Smith County Master Gardeners are volunteer educators certified and coordinated by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Stephanie Osborn
Smith County Master Gardener