This Month in the Garden - February
This month there are signs of the approaching spring, with bulbs appearing and birds and wildlife waking up as light levels. There’s plenty to do this month in preparation for the season ahead. Outdoors, the garden is coming to life again, and it's time to prune shrubs, such as wisteria.
This month there are signs of the approaching spring, with bulbs appearing and birds and wildlife waking up as light levels. There’s plenty to do this month in preparation for the season ahead. Outdoors, the garden is coming to life again, and it's time to prune shrubs, such as wisteria.
Continue to plant shrubs, trees, climbers, hedging plants and roses. Avoid planting roses in areas where roses were previously growing, otherwise new introductions may suffer from replant diseases. This occurs when a plant is replaced with the same type. For most plants this does not cause a problem, however, for others, most notably roses and others in the rose family the new plant fails to thrive or put on decent growth. The roots of the previous plant need only to have been in the soil for a few months for the problem to occur.
Dahlia tubers stored over winter (or bought this year) can be started into growth. Place them in a light, warm place to sprout before planting. They will need additional misting with a spray-bottle of water to stop them drying out. Click here to visit our Bulbs and Seeds page where you will find a selection of beautiful Dahlias, Gladioli, Lillies and lots more.
Lily bulbs can be planted in pots for flowers this summer. After growing on indoors or in a cool greenhouse they can be moved onto the patio when in flower so that you can enjoy the blooms.
Bulbs coming up in the rock garden or in containers may benefit from overhead protection from the rain and snow. A sheet of glass or Perspex placed on piles of bricks will do the job.
Hardy annuals can be sown in pots or modules to provide colour.
Place gladioli corms in seed trays or boxes and place in a light, warm (around 10ºC/50ºF) spot to encourage them to sprout before planting. This will ensure an earlier display.
Sweet peas can be sown under cloches, in a cold frame, or in a cool room in the house. Any sweet peas that were sown earlier in the autumn can now be potted.
Root cuttings can be taken of Papaver (perennial poppies), Verbascum (mullein), Acanthus (bear’s britches) and Phlox.
Soft tip cuttings can be taken from fuchsias this month.
If you do have any seedlings and/or cuttings in the greenhouse, make sure they are getting the maximum light available, or else they will become weak and leggy. If necessary, turn them once a day so that they get light on both sides. This will stop them leaning over towards the light, and keep them upright and compact.
Don’t forget to prick out seedlings before they get too crowded and then to pot them on as individual transplants as soon as they are large enough.
Plug plants are now available for sale. They can be grown on in your glasshouse, being a relatively cheap source of large numbers of plants, while avoiding the need for propagation facilities and labour. Click here to visit our Kinder Plug plant website page.
Prune winter-flowering shrubs that have finished flowering.
Prune Wisteria. Wisteria needs regular pruning to keep the growth and size under control, but it will also improve the flowering display. Although it seems complicated, wisteria pruning is quite simple if you follow the RHS simple guide – click here for details.
Divide bulbs such as snowdrops, and plant those that need planting ‘in the green’.
Prune hardy evergreen hedges and renovate overgrown deciduous hedges. Click here to view the RHS website guide to pruning evergreens.
Cut back deciduous ornamental grasses left uncut over the winter. Evergreen ornamental grasses will just need a tidy up. Click here to view the RHS website guide.
If the weather is warm you may need to start mowing. Set the cutting height at its maximum and only mow when the grass is dry.
Re-cut lawn edges to crisp up the appearance of the garden and save work later in the season.
Turf can be laid provided the soil is not too wet or frosty. Work from planks to avoid compacting the soil. Do not walk on the newly laid turf and leave undisturbed for several weeks to allow new roots to establish.
Prepare seed beds for new lawns to be seeded later in the spring, but only attempt this if the ground is not too wet.
Continue to deadhead winter-flowering pansies and other winter bedding. Pansies will carry on into the spring and even to early summer if attended to frequently.
Improve soil by spreading compost or manure over beds and forking in. Mulching with a deep layer of organic matter helps to condition the soil, suppress weed growth, insulate plant roots from temperature fluctuations and conserve soil moisture during the summer. Lighter soils can be mulched now, but heavier soils are best left until March when the soil is warmer. Click here to visit our soil and compost page.
Towards the end of the month you can top dress beds and borders with a balanced fertiliser such as Growmore or Blood, Fish and Bone to feed perennials as they start back into growth. Click here to visit our fertiliser page.
Keep a check on planted containers to see if they require watering as pots that are sheltered may miss out on rainfall. Keep pots moist, but not wet.
If snow falls, knock it off the branches of evergreen shrubs and conifers to prevent branches breaking under its weight.
Consider purchasing water butts now ready for the summer. Rainwater is particularly useful for watering acid-loving, ericaceous plants (tap water is often slightly alkaline).
Prepare vegetable seed beds and sow some vegetables under cover. (Our full range of vegetable plants will be available end March/early April.)
Chit potato tubers. Click here to visit our edibles page and view our range of seed potatoes.
Protect blossom on apricots, nectarines and peaches. Once they start into growth in spring, flowers and buds are especially vulnerable to frost and may need protection to crop well.
Net fruit and vegetable crops to keep the birds off.
Check that glasshouse heaters are
functioning properly. A maximum-minimum thermometer enables accurate monitoring
of your greenhouse temperature. A minimum temperature of 5 degrees C (42F) is
required to prevent Fuchsias, Pelargoniums and other tender plants being killed
off by the cold. Higher temperatures (at least 12°C/54°F) will be needed for
tropical plants.
Ventilate the greenhouse on sunny
days to reduce the risk of fungal infection.
Clear leaves and twigs from
guttering on greenhouses and sheds.
Collect leaves as they fall in the autumn to make leaf mould which is a wonderful soil conditioner. Once the process is complete the leaf mould can be used for potting or mulching. Making leaf mould is easy and free - just follow our step-by-step guide.
Autumn is a time of glorious colour in the garden with fiery shades of foliage that seem to glint in the sunlight.
As the summer comes to a close it’s time to think about replacing containers and baskets with ones that will give colour and interest for the autumn and winter months. There are many plants that can be used to brighten up patios,porches and other areas of the garden to make it feel welcoming. Follow our step-by-step guide to plant up your own, or alternatively we will have plenty of ready made baskets and containers to purchase.
The arrival of spring flowering bulbs brings an opportunity to plan ahead for the following year. It’s an ideal time to have a tour around the garden to work out where there are gaps that could be filled to produce early displays.
There’s plenty to harvest in the vegetable plot during August and there is also still time to make the most of available space by extending sowing and planting times for a longer growing season. Fast maturing salad crops such as summer lettuce, rocket, sorrel, chicory and radish can all be sown in August.
When it comes to feeding your plants it can be difficult to know how to get it right. Follow our easy guide and your plants will look great throughout the summer.
If you are looking for plants to add late summer colour with long lasting flowers that can be used for drying and flower arranging, then Hydrangeas tick all the boxes with their beautiful blooms.
Growing your own delicious new potatoes for Christmas is easy with our step-by-step guide. The potatoes can be grown in containers in a frost-free greenhouse, cool conservatory or a bright porch, or in the ground. If grown in the ground the potatoes will need protection from frosts.
If you are looking for plants that are easy to grow, flower throughout the summer and attract a range of pollinators including bees and butterflies, then Ornamental Salvias are the perfect choice. Her at Poplar our colourful ranges of perennial Ornamental Salvias are certainly attracting plenty of visitors.
Not everyone has the time or wants to tend to summer bedding basket and container displays. For those looking for something low maintenance with a Mediterranean feel our Olive and herb planter is the perfect choice and you can also use the herbs to create some delicious dishes in the kitchen. This Mediterranean planter will look great on a sunny patio and provide year round interest in the garden.
A beautiful lawn is easily achieved by following our easy summer lawn care programme.
It is a real joy to sit and watch garden birds as they go about their daily activities, and if you provide food and water for them you will attract all sorts of species that will become regular visitors into your garden.
