“The shortest day has passed, and whatever nastiness of weather we may look forward to in January and February, at least we notice that the days are getting longer. Minute by minute they lengthen out.” -Vita Sackville-West The days are indeed lengthening out, and I am looking forward to the first warmer days in March when I can begin cleaning up the garden and surveying plant damage caused by this miserably cold winter. These icy days are perfect for reading about new or different species to replace ones lost to the harsh winter weather. One interesting online article was about biennials, herbaceous flowering plants that complete their life cycles in two growing seasons, or not. During a biennial’s first season, the seed develops into the plant’s root system and the organs that store the food it needs to grow. The above ground structures may include a low-growing basal rosette of leaves and a short stem. Not very showy, so this may be one reason we plant fewer biennials in favor of mor...