It’s still cold, wet and damp outside, but we can now see light at the end of the tunnel, mainly with the arrival of the snowdrops, eranthis and other spring flowering bulbs making a welcome appearance. February is probably the best time for preparing your garden for the coming season.
These top tips for February should help to get you started 🌱
In the flower garden
- Prune wisteria now, cutting back summer side-shoots to 2 or 3 buds.
- Cut back shrubs, such as cornus and salix cultivars (grown for their colourful winter stems), down to their bases. We have some lovely ones in the Garden Centre if you have none in your garden, perfect for injecting a bit of colour for next winter.
- Cut back the old foliage from ornamental grasses before growth begins. Clip them to within a few centimetres of the ground.
- Hellebore’s should be in full flower now, but keep a look out for Black Spot on the older leaves. If you see anything suspicious on the older leaves, just snip them off and destroy. Keep a look out for our range of Hellebores, we have a great range available here at the Nursery.
- Snowdrops should be in full flower now. Keep an eye on them, as after flowering you can lift and divide. We will be stocking clumps later this month for you to plant yourself, so why not add a couple of clumps to your garden this month.
In the vegetable garden
- Start chitting early potatoes — stand them on end in a module tray or egg box and place them in a bright, cool, frost-free place. We still have a good range available at the Nursery, with everything you need to ensure your potatoes grow without a hitch this year.
- Prepare vegetable seed beds by removing all weeds and forking in plenty of compost. Cover prepared soil with sheets of black plastic to keep it drier and warmer in preparation for spring planting.
In the fruit garden
- Prune raspberry canes. It’s your last chance to cut autumn-fruiting raspberry canes to the ground to stimulate new canes to fruit in the autumn. Cut the tips of summer-fruiting raspberry canes that have grown beyond the top of their supports; cut just above a bud.
- Top dress fruit bushes with a slow-release, potassium-rich fertiliser to feed plants for the forthcoming season.
Any other jobs
- Keep feeding the birds. The weather is still cold this month so hang fat balls and keep bird feeders topped up.
Work done now will help you have a bumper crop of flowers, fruit and veg over the coming months. You will find a wide range of compost, seeds, pots and plants to help you along the way here at Singletons. Along with any advice and re-assurance you need. 🌸