What to do in your garden in February

February can literally be a month of two halves.  Some days the sun shines enough to convince you that spring has arrived, only to snatch the brightness away in an instant with a return to cold, frosty mornings and harsh conditions for the even the most enthusiastic gardeners.

In reality, whilst it’s tempting to race into the garden and start planting as soon as you see the sun, February is a month in which patience is most definitely a virtue.  Unless you live in the far south of Britain or are lucky enough to have a garden design that provides a really sheltered, south facing spot for planting, you really will be better off putting some jobs on hold until March.

That’s not to say that you need to stay idle, however.

The key themes for February should be about getting things ready on the flower front, giving some early vegetables a helping hand and generally using the last of those long, dark winter nights to plan your garden design for the coming year.

Flower power

Now is the time to be mulching as much as possible whilst it’s still possible to get inbetween the plants in your flower beds. Once spring sets off growing, it will become much harder so mulch now to a depth of about 6 inches if possible, you’ll see be pleased you did when you see the benefits in weed suppression.

Next, get bulbs such as dahlias and cannas ready for the coming season.  If you’ve got large areas of patio and paving or garden landscaping issues you need to solve, large planters of bulbs can really help brighten the garden.

To get things started, place dahlia tubers into trays, lightly covered with compost.  Keep everything moist and in a greenhouse or well lit garden shed until the shoots begin to poke out.  You’ll be able to take cutting from March onwards to top up your plant supply.

Early vegetables

Whilst most outside vegetables will do best if left to March, planting under glass or inside is a good activity for February.  Choose onions if you’ve got a good warm windowsill or heated propagator, or beetroot, broad beans and carrots if you’ve got room for a cold frame in the back garden.

Planning for sunshine

And finally, take this last chance to get things ship shape for spring.  Prune back any autumn raspberries and clear any debris and growth you need to remove.  Try to set aside at least one afternoon to really look at your garden – include the front garden as well – and think through what works and what doesn’t. If you’re thinking of employing a landscape gardener or need a garden design service to point you in the right direction, now is the perfect time to give them a call.  Get in before the rush and you’ll be sitting in your brand new garden ready for when the summer sun arrives….

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