Your Garden in February

I don’t know about you but this last week has been a difficult one, lockdown fever has taken hold and the idea of another 5 weeks in these four walls has been dragging me down so I go to the place that gives me solace, my garden. Work has been continuing slowly on my own garden, we are still at the hard landscaping stage and most of that has come to a grinding halt since Christmas but there are still some things I can do around the ground works and hard landscaping.  

It has been cold and wet this last week but as Billy Connoly once quoted  ‘There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing, so get yourself a sexy raincoat and live a little’  its an interesting take on Sir Ranulph Fiennes original quote but I like it and a less than sexy raincoat and a good pair of gardening gloves and I escaped from the dining room, that has become my home office now one of my kids has taken over my home office and the rigours of home schooling and zoom meetings, and enjoyed a couple of hours in the garden. Albeit some of that time was int he greenhouse giving that a good clean and tidy up as I plan of tiling that this year and adding a touch of Insta magic to the space so I can use it to picture and demonstrate some of my garden musings.

So for all those like me looking for some peace in the garden, in February especially those new to the gardening game here is my plan of action for your garden for this month.

In terms of planting, its mostly utility at this time of year, planting trees and hedges before the end of the bare-root season which is coming around pretty sharpish so do get any bare-root or rootballed trees and hedging planted before the end of March, it will mean that they get time to put their roots down before the growth kicks off again and will be a slightly stronger plant than one grown in a pot and be cheaper too.

There are a number of flowering plants at this time of year and they really lift my spirits so if you don’t have at least one of these in your garden at the moment I would definitely recommend these 

Hellebores are just the most beautiful friend at this time of year, a country garden favourite that produces flowers when everything else is dormant. Hellebores are easy to grow, and will become drought tolerant once they have become established. They are perfect for providing ground cover in a woodland garden, or for planting in swathes through the front of the herbaceous border. Hellebores come in a number of colours and produce single or double flowers but whichever one takes your fancy they really will brighten up your garden in the depths of winter. 

My Camellias are also just flowering or promising to do so very soon as my smaller one in its slightly more shaded position is doing.  They are well suited to woodland planting or in a semi shaded bed but they did like acidic soil with a good relabel source of moisture so I use a couple of tricks, firstly I always use ericaceous compost when planting to give then the best start, I then use coniferous cuttings or shavings to create a mulch dressing. The old trick with rusty nails also seems to work well plus coffee grinds are also acidic so use those as a top dressing, these will also keep the slugs from your hostas too when they come up. 

My last recommendation is Sarcocca confusa this sweetly scented, pure white flowering shrub from December to March with its dark green leaves. This wonderful, winter-flowering, dense evergreen shrub is perfect for a shady border or woodland garden. To fully appreciate the fabulous, vanilla-like fragrance plant in moist, well-drained soil close to an entrance or path. Mine is right next to the entrance to my garden and as such I get to appreciate it every time `I walk into the garden.  In late winter or early spring lightly trim or prune back shoots that spoil the plant’s symmetry. After pruning apply a generous amount of mulch around the base of the plant.

What other jobs can you be getting on with at this time of year? 

Cut back deciduous ornamental grasses the have been left standing over winter, before their fresh shoots appear.  Cut back to ground level. 

Prune late-summer flowering clematis, cutting stems back to healthy buds about 15-20cm from the base

Divide congested clumps of herbaceous perennials and grasses to make vigorous new plants for free, do this carefully and if you are not sure what to do then I will be putting up a video in the next week on my website and social media showing you the right way to do this. 

If there are deciduous shrubs in the wring place, now is the time to move them while they are dormant, lift them with a small amount of soil around the roots to ensure that they don’t damage.

Prune winter-flowering  shrubs like mahonia and heathers, once they’ve finished flowering

Cut back wisteria side shoots to three buds from the base, to encourage abundant flowers in spring (If you click on the image below I’ve linked it to great RHS video on Wisteria Pruning which shows both cuts in the year) .  Prune buddleja and elder to the base to keep these vigorous shrubs to a reasonable size

Sprinkle slow-release fertiliser around the base of roses and other flowering shrubs, maybe leave this until a little alter in the month though or you could even hold on until Patricks Day but no later than that. 

If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse then there a few things that you can be doing in there but I’d probably leave most of them until slightly later in the month but if I give you the list now it means you can prepare and get the things you might need, with online orders things are taking a little longer in most cases. 

Sow sweet peas in deep pots and keep them frost-free, use a fleece over them other than the warmer daylight hours. 

Sow summer bedding and tender annuals, including cosmos, lobelia, dahlias, nasturtiums and snapdragons, again keep these frost-free. I don’t sell seeds and some of the Online seeds suppliers are under pressure with orders so get yours in now for sowing later in February or early March.

Sow tender crops such as tomatoes and chillies in a heated propagator, if you don’t have one them maybe late until the weather starts to warm a little. 

Plant dahlia tubers in trays to encourage shoots to develop

Start planting summer bulbs in pots indoors, including liatris, begonias, gloxinias, lilies.

Remove any faded or yellowing leaves from overwintering plants to prevent fungal diseases

Wash greenhouse glazing inside and out to let in as much light as possible.

Well that lot will keep you busy in the garden, for all those with lockdown fever and for those who have a little more time on their hands oh and by the way of you get through all that your garden will be the talk of the town this Spring and Summer when we will be needing those gardens as much as ever.  Happy Gardening X