Now that there’s an appreciable difference in the daylight hours, this is a month of anticipation and there are lots of jobs to do in the February garden. As young green shoots begin to ready themselves for blooming later in the year early bulbs push through the cold earth to lighten our days.
Lovely dwarf iris, drifts of crocus, tiny daffodils are all welcome harbingers of approaching spring. There’s a feeling in the air that a new gardening season is about to start and there are always jobs to do that will set you up for a productive gardening year.
Tasks which have been put off in the past can be tackled this month. A wet day is a good opportunity to sort through the potting shed to have everything ready for the new season. This includes taking the lawn mower in for a service and sharpening tools. Now is the time to plan changes and indulge new ideas. Perhaps the reshaping of a border, a new planting scheme, or the installation of a pond. Planning is all part of the enjoyment of gardening and will ensure your garden continues to evolve a distinctive, personal style.
If your garden has become overgrown, this is the best time of year to clear it, before the birds start nesting. This is the month for pruning hardy shrubs that flower on new wood later in the summer, for example the butterfly bush, Buddlejia davidii, can be cut right down hard to the base. It’s amazing just how well shrubs respond to this, putting on rapid growth over the spring and summer months to flower later on in the year. Just ensure that you leave a few shoots at the base to form the basic structure of the plant. I use the left over twigs as supports for plants such as Delphiniums in March but for now you can keep them in a corner of the garden ready to act as stakes later in the gardening year.
Other jobs to do in the February garden
To increase snowdrops in the garden re-plant them later this month by lifting a clump of bulbs with a fork and dividing them to plant in a different area. If you are planting your bulbs in a heavy soil, as many of us have in Oxfordshire, add a little sharp sand or grit to the planting hole to improve drainage. A great combination for the winter garden is to plant them under the red barked Dogwood – Cornus alba ‘Sibirica Variegata.’
Wisterias usually flower more freely and regularly if pruned twice a year, once in August and again in February. Simply cut back the growth to two or three buds to ensure that the flowers will not be obscured by leaves. The idea is to have a skeleton frame of well- spaced branches. On an overgrown Wisteria, this may require some time and patience but it is well worth the effort to enjoy the spectacle of flowers later in the year. For more advice on pruning wisterias in winter, the RHS website here has lots of useful information.
Towards the end of February you can prune the late flowering Clematis, for example the C. orientalis group or the late flowering C. ‘Jackmanii.’ They may have already started to produce new shoots, so be a little careful when pulling away the old growth from last year. Apart from this, they are very easy to prune, just cut down all the old growth to about 30cm or a foot from the ground. Cut each stem back to just above a healthy bud and give a little feed with an organic fertiliser.
If this is the year you’ve resolved to get growing your own tasty fruit and vegetables in your garden, your first requirement will be good soil. Whilst it is true that time spent on preparing the soil prior to planting is never wasted, it can be back-breaking work. Creating raised beds are a glorious solution to this problem that will (literally) elevate your veg-growing game. There’s no need to dig as the soil won’t get compacted and you can fill the bed with the soil/compost mix most appropriate to the crop you wish to grow. There’s less room for weeds to flourish because you’re planting veg close together, and you don’t need to bend over so much to tend them. The soil in raised beds will warm up quicker than your enthusiasm for spring, allowing you to make the most of the growing season. What’s more, they are surprisingly easy to make.
Choose the sunniest location in your garden, as most vegetables need at least 6–8 hours of sunlight daily. The beds can be constructed using a variety of materials, timber sleepers or scaffold boards are perfect but brick, or even recycled plastic can be used. Beds should ideally be no wider than 1.2 meters to allow easy access from both sides. The height can range from 20–40 cm, depending on your soil quality and preferences. Fill your raised bed with a well-draining soil mix. A blend of topsoil, compost, and well-rotted manure ensures nutrient-rich conditions. And off you go on your journey to self-sufficiency. Just don’t get too smug—nature has a way of keeping us gardeners humble!
Here are some photos of raised beds we’ve constructed using a variety of materials, wood, brick and Corten Steel all could be used for growing fruit and vegetables:
If you need help with jobs to do in the February garden and live in the Buckinghamshire area, we’d be pleased to help. Contact us here for more information.
