Introduction
With the temperatures slowly increasing and the days gradually getting longer, Spring is just on the doorstep. Soon we will see more and more early spring flowers like snowdrops, daffodils and crocuses emerging from the ground adding a splash of colour to the dull winter display. Although there is still a while before your garden is full in bloom there are plenty of things to do in preparation for the growing season. We have put together a list of some ideas below for how you can make the most of February so that you can enjoy your garden fully when spring finally arrives.
Feed your soil
Now is the ideal time to give your garden’s beds and borders some love by adding a generous thick layer of soil conditioner to them. In the wintertime the soil is more prone to nitrogen leaching. This means that now is the perfect time for mulching to give the soil a nutrient boost ready for spring. By leaving manure on the beds for a few weeks until you’re ready to plant into it, it will reduce its heat to avoid foliage and stem scorching. This will also save you some manual digging as the worms will do most of the work for you. By avoiding unnecessary digging, this will protect the mycorrhizal fungi in the soil, which benefit plant root water availability. Your plants will most definitely appreciate that with more drought conditions expected this year than ever before!
Plan your garden
Did you notice that some of your plants didn’t thrive last year in their current location? As mentioned in the January post this is the perfect time of the year to relocate deciduous plants as many are dormant during this season. Maybe your plant would benefit from being in a shadier area of your garden if it suffered from sun scorch last year. Or perhaps you just want to change it up by re-designing your garden layout. A great way to find inspiration is to have a scroll through Pinterest or your favourite gardening influencer’s Instagram account. Get inspired and start planning!
Invite wildlife into your garden
There are proven benefits from enhancing biodiversity within your garden. By providing habitats for wildlife, it will help to control pests by attracting natural predators such as birds and hedgehogs. Support the birds through the cold weather by providing them bird feeders and water. Now is also a good time to give the bird bath a good clean if you have one. Plan to plant some native flowering plants this year to attract pollinators. And why not put up a bird house or two!
Pre-spring clean
Give your greenhouse a thorough clean from built up algae and moss to make sure it will let through the maximum amount of light, and to remove any potential pests or disease. February is the month to remove old stems of herbaceous perennials and to prune woody stems. The nesting season starts soon, so this is the last chance to cut back overgrown hedges and shrubs. Prune your rose bushes if you haven’t already. Use the cut off stems to make a pile in your garden which wildlife can use as habitat, or put them in a bulk bag and try our waste bag collection service if you haven’t already!
Alicia Paaso
Gardenscape Sales Team / RHS Level 2 Horticulturalist