February is already upon us, and we have some gardening goodness to help you through this sometimes-wicked-weather month. It seems like the first day of spring won’t come soon enough, but we can make use of the few weeks left before the thaw to get seeds started. To help you in that endeavor, we’re hosting a month-long seed giveaway.

It’s that simple pleasure that reminds me that there is great joy in all seasons for we gardeners.

I love blisters. I absolutely adore them. I enjoy the painful sting when they get wet in the shower. Why you ask? Because the only time I am fortunate enough to receive them is if I’ve spent countless hours outdoors.

Horticultural Therapy is “a professional practice that uses the cultivation of plants and gardening activities to improve the mental and physical health of its participants,” quoted from Therapeutic Landscapes Network

This garden vignette would be far less effective sans the larger planter taking center stage. It provides a focal point in the spring, fall and winter months. In the summer, it is often obstructed by a lush planting.

Winter in the perennial garden with a focus on grasses, featuring Diane Mumm of Picket Fence Greenhouse and Gardens.

A perfect spot for growing lavender. If you roll down your windows, you can smell it before you see it. Southern charm is displayed in the quilts and delightful charm of Annie Baggett.

We chose this blogger as the first recipient of the Horticulture Best Garden Blog 2011 award because you would be hard-pressed to come across someone in the garden blogging community who hasn’t known, read, or had the chance to meet her.

In this age of social media, I’m reaching out here on the Editor’s Blog to see if there is one among you who wants to join a dynamic team of passionate gardeners who are carrying on the Horticulture tradition in the 21st century.

During this dark season of the year as we move toward the winter solstice, my “gardening” is more about planning than doing, but it saves my soul all the same.

I’m not buying the doom-and-gloom prophecy that print is dead. The magazine is the hub of the Horticulture Community, and we’re thrilled to bring you smart gardening ideas in print AND through other outlets.