Deal with frost damage. If winter frosts hit some of your plants, wait until later this month to prune off the damage.
Get traditional winter plantings in the ground. Now's time to plant bare-root roses, fruit trees, berries, even shade trees. Keep the roots moist until you're ready to plant. Don't buy bargain plants with dried-out roots.
Plant cool-season annual flowers. They should peak in midspring and last until hot weather: calendulas, dianthus, Iceland poppies, pansies, snapdragons, violas and more. Provide the sunniest spot you can find in your garden.
Set out cool-season vegetables. These include broccoli, lettuce, spinach and more. Swiss chard is really easy.
Prune roses. Finish pruning this month except in cold-climates such as the high mountains. As a rule, cut back hybrid tea roses by about a third, and leave three to five canes sprouting from the base. Shrub roses need less precise pruning — basically, shear them to control the size and shape. Fertilize all roses after pruning.
Prune fruit trees. Prune and spray deciduous fruit trees, such as apple, peach, apricot and pear. Check on the how-to with expert books or advisers at your local nursery.
Plant summer-blooming bulbs. In a month filled with daffodils, think about planting bulbs to bloom in late spring and summer: tuberous begonias, gladiolus, tigridias and more.
Snails and Slugs. February could be declared California Snail Month. They like it wet and warmish (but not hot). Watch for telltale signs of chewed leaves or the creatures themselves, and scatter pet-safe bait.
by Bill Marken, Contributor to Houzz.