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Must do's for this monthJobs that won't wait Knock heavy snow from trees and shrubs and keep an area of the pond ice-free.  Protect
vulnerable plants from frost and wind damage and firm in plants lifted
by frost or windrock.Sow
slow-maturing bedding plants such as antirrhinums and African marigolds.Sow
quick-growing perennials such as campanulas and poppies to flower
this year.Make
a regular check on pots of bulbs being forced for indoor flowering.Order
or buy summer-flowering bulbs, corms and tubers, especially if you
are planning to grow any that need starting off indoors, such as tuberous
begonias.The
closing date for ordering young bedding plants by post is often at
the end of February; order them now.Pot
autumn-rooted fuchsia cuttings into small, individual pots.Put
cloches in position to warm the soil for early sowings of vegetables
in March. They should be in place for at least three weeks for the
soil to benefit.Make
any necessary repairs to wooden structures supporting plants before
the plants begin to grow.  Information in this section comes from Reader's Digest New Gardening Year - a month-by-month guide to success in your garden |
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February Planting guide with Avon Mill Garden Centre In February the garden begins to stir from its winter slumber. Winter aconites and the first snowdrops and crocuses are in bloom, and by the end of the month primroses and early daffodils such as 'February Gold' may be making an appearance. The early-flowering shrubs, including chaenomeles and daphnes, will be flowering freely in mild areas and, by the end of the month, will be showing colour even in the colder parts of the country. This can be a time of considerable activity if you have a greenhouse, especially if it maintained at a temperature warm enough for propagation. Don't be in too much of a hurry to sow summer bedding plants however, unless the plants need a long period of growth. Even then it may be more economical to start them off on the windowsill for a few weeks before moving them into the greenhouse. It is much easier to maintain higher temperatures in the greenhouse in March, and seeds sown then often catch up with earlier sowings, thereby saving on heating costs. Even if you delay most of your greenhouse propagation until March, stock up this month with compost, pots and seed trays, and check that the seeds ordered earlier have arrived. |