Vegetable Garden
- Early Potatoes: Jumpstart your potato season by chitting early varieties. Lay them out to form short sprouts in a bright, cool, frost-free spot, with the aim to plant them towards the end of March.
- Greenhouse Sowing: Get a head start on the growing season by sowing cabbage, celery, sweet and cayenne peppers, tomatoes, parsley, leeks, and onions under cover or in a warm propagator.
- Mulching Perennials: Show some love to perennial vegetables like artichokes and asparagus by mulching them with nutrient-rich manure or garden compost.
- Prepping Seed Beds: Prepare vegetable seed beds by diligently removing weeds and incorporating ample compost. Cover the beds to maintain warmth.
- Disease Prevention: Safeguard your brassicas from downy mildew and grey mold by promptly removing any yellowing leaves.
Fruit Garden
- Raspberry Care: Prune raspberry canes to encourage the growth of new ones for a fruitful autumn harvest. Trim the tips of overgrown summer-fruiting raspberry canes.
- Currant Pruning: Keep blackcurrant bushes, gooseberries, and red currants productive by giving them a well-tailored pruning session.
- Early Rhubarb Forcing: Jumpstart the rhubarb season by forcing plants to produce an early crop.
- Protective Cloches: Extend the strawberry season by covering outdoor plants with cloches, providing protection and encouraging an earlier harvest.
Lawn
- Minimal Disturbance: In February, give your lawn some well-deserved rest. Minimize foot traffic and avoid any significant maintenance.
Trees & Shrubs
- Ornamental Planting: Continue adding beauty to your landscape by planting ornamental trees and deciduous shrubs.
- Hedge Planting: Start the month with the planting of a hedge to enhance both structure and aesthetics.
- Pruning Routine: Trim late-flowering climbers and shrubs, followed by pruning large-flowered and cluster-flowered roses.
Flower Garden
- Reviving Dormant Plants: Bring back to life winter-stored dormant plants and tubers, initiating their growth for the upcoming season.
- Greenhouse Sowing: Sow slower-growing summer bedding plants under glass to ensure a vibrant and colorful display.
- Wisteria Pruning: Shape wisteria by pruning now, focusing on cutting back summer side-shoots to 2 or 3 buds.
- Forcing Bulbs: Retrieve bulbs for forcing indoors, breathing new life into your living spaces.
- Chrysanthemum Cuttings: Expand your chrysanthemum collection by taking cuttings this month.
- Spring Planting: Embrace the promise of spring by planting lilies and anemones. Weather permitting, sow outdoor annual seeds for a breathtaking display.
February serves as a crucial bridge between winter dormancy and the vibrant renewal of spring. By dedicating time to your garden this month, you're not just tending to plants; you're sowing the seeds of a beautiful, fruitful season ahead. Happy gardening!