February’s the last month to really prep the winter garden for spring, says Pete Harcom, and it’s time for some tidying up and getting ready!
February can still be quiet in the garden, but it should be used to get the garden prepared for spring. Take a long look around and evaluate what plants did well last year and also decide if any need replacing or removing. February is a good time to plant shrubs, as the soil will soon be starting to warm up. That will give the plants a good start when the sap starts to rise.
Out of the rain
If you have a greenhouse it is a real pleasure to be out of the wind and rain, so have a good tidy up and get ready for sowing your seeds. Organise the seeds into their sowing date, and bring bags of potting soil into the greenhouse to warm it up before its used for sowing.
The greenhouse can also be used to start potted fuchsias back into growth: prune overwintered fuchsias back to one or two buds on each shoot. For the next few months, if you pinch out the lead bud on every shoot, you will have lots more flowers in the summer.
Help the bees
When choosing plants and seeds for the coming year how about focussing on our pollinators, all the moths, flies, beetles, butterflies, bumble and honey bees (among others)? These pollinators need homes – the easiest option is just to leave areas of long grass or log piles and leaf letter in unused corners of the garden. The compost heap will also shelter insects.
There are a variety of ‘bee homes’ or ‘bug hotels‘ which can be purchased, but you can easily create your own using old plant pots, twigs and small bamboo sticks.
Once they move in, then these new residents, plus their visiting pollinator pals, will all need nectar to survive. We have so many nectar-rich plants common to our English gardens:
hellebores, snowdrops, heathers, pulmonaria, perennial wallflowers, rosemary, crocus, cowslip, crab apple … and, in summer, lavender, lemon balm, borage and salvias, to name just a few. Why not pick a few and add them to your garden this year?
The odd jobs
Other jobs for February include digging out perennial weeds in your beds and borders. Dig them up, roots and all, before the weather warms up and they start spreading.
Prune winter-blooming shrubs such as mahonia, winter jasmine and heathers once they’ve finished flowering. Cut back wisteria side shoots to three buds from the base, to encourage flowers this spring.
Prune Buddleia Davidii (aka a butterfly bush) hard, right back to the base, to keep these vigorous shrubs to a reasonable size.
Before the birds start nesting, trim back ivy and deciduous hedges, Virginia creeper and other climbers.
