February can often seem in the depths of winter, but this month, there will be signs of a fast approaching spring, with bulbs appearing and morning birdsong as light levels and temperatures increase. February is a month of preparation for the gardening year ahead with lots to do both inside and outside.
Don’t forget wildlife; at this time of year, natural food reserves have been depleted, so think about putting out meat based dog or cat food for hedgehogs and bird seed/nuts/fat balls for garden birds.
- Check garden tools and equipment – does any of it need fixing or replacing?
- Tidy Pots and discard any broken ones. Don’t forget to keep terracotta ones for drainage in other pots
- Apply organic fertilisers around plants and fruit trees to help retain moisture and add nutrition
- Prepare vegetable seed beds
- Plant shallots
- Sow peas
- Chit potatoes
- Prune any winter flowering shrubs that have finished flowering
- Prune wisteria
- Cut back deciduous grasses to remove last year’s growth before fresh shoots appear
- Transplant deciduous shrubs growing in the wrong place, while they are dormant
- Divide congested clumps of herbaceous perennials and grasses to make vigorous new plants for free
