Welcome to February! We hope you are ready, as there is plenty to be getting on with in the garden, starting in the most delicious area…
Grow Something Tasty!
Now is the ideal time to get a head start on this year’s vegetable growth. Use a windowsill propagator kit to sow seeds of tomatoes, chilli peppers, sweet peppers and aubergines.
Plant shallots in sheltered gardens – space sets roughly 15cm apart, leaving a gap of 30cm between each row.
Pea seeds can be sown 5cm deep in a sheltered spot outdoors and cover with a cloche to protect from frost.
Flowers and Trees
Dogwoods should be cut back to within one or two buds of last year’s growth, leaving just a stubby framework.
A light trim will keep any summer or autumn flowering heathers compact and bushy.
Remove old flower heads from mophead and lacecap hydrangeas. Cut back to a pair of healthy buds, then trim out any dead, diseased or spindly stems.
Prune buddleia to encourage a great floral display this summer. Cut back the stems to within 10cm of the permanent low framework.
If Nothing Else… Plant Raspberries!
Raspberries are a delightful garden treat that really is a reward for our efforts outside.
Now is the perfect time for planting bare root raspberry canes. Plant in a sunny or partly shaded spot with well-drained soil. Most may take a couple of seasons to begin establishing before they bear fruit, but long-cane raspberries will reward you with plenty of large, bright red fruit this summer.
Plant against a wall, fence or support wires attached to stakes. Dig a 30cm wide by 8cm deep hole, and spread out the roots. Cover and water well. Space raspberry canes 60cm apart. Alternatively, plant several canes in a large pot and draw the tops together with twine to form a wigwam shape.
And Don’t Forget This…
Dandelions and other weeds with long roots can be levered from lawns using a weeding tool.
Avoid the risk of slugs and snails chomping at new emerging perennial shoots by thinly scattering slug pellets around individual plants.
Freshen up soil compacted by winter wet. Fork over the soil, then spread some Blood, Fish & Bone fertiliser to replace nutrients washed away by rain.
Remember, the world is your oyster at this time of the year in the garden, and our suggestions are only that. So get out there!
