February Gardening Guide
Sunshine, could that possibly be YOU?! What a glorious few days we’ve had with some sunshine peeking through the clouds reminding us the spring days are on their way. Having said that, the ground is still as sodden as ever and my new allotment plot has succumbed to all that rain finally and flooded. It’s by no means as bad as some have had it and serves as a healthy reminder that whenever you take on a new garden (or allotment), it’s a really good idea to hold off committing to any specific plans until you’ve observed the space for a while.
Waiting a few seasons or, if possible, a whole year means you can get a real understanding of what your potential problems could be in your new space. It could be flooding or poor drainage, or a blazing hot border that dries out mid summer, or the fruits falling from a neighbouring tree and the list goes on. These kinds of things will all help decide what plants will be best suited to the place, where you’re going to have paving to sit with a morning coffee and where you’re going to want to entertain friends for an evening BBQ etc. Once you’ve observed the garden as much as you can, that’s when the exciting part comes in – the planning! And planning is definitely a subject for another post or two.
snowdrops, crocuses & a bee
Whether you’re new to your garden space or know it like the back of your hand, here’s a guide to some of the tasks you can be getting on with this month…
Order and plant snowdrops ‘in the green’
Snowdrop bulbs don’t like to be dried out so it’s best to get them after they’ve flowered, when the foliage is just starting to die back. I tested the theory myself a couple of years ago and bought a pack of snowdrop bulbs at the same time I was buying crocus bulbs. I planted them in the autumn that year and in the following winter TWO snowdrops appeared out of the twenty I’d planted. Suffice it to say, if you want snowdrops in your garden, get them in the green.
Don’t be too tidy
Delay your garden tidy up for a little while longer if you can, to help protect hibernating wildlife that may be snuggling in your garden.
Snowdrops & moss
Relocate plants
If the ground isn’t waterlogged or frozen, now is a good time to relocate any plants you want to move in your garden. This gives them a little time to settle in whilst they’re dormant and before they start to put on spring growth.
Sow a seed or two
I’ve officially done my first seed sowing of the year! I’m not a big autumn sow-er because I simply can’t be arsed to look after seedlings over the winter. Yes, it gives some plants a little head start but the ballache of winter seedlings doesn’t outweigh the benefits to me so I just don’t do it. However, if you’re getting itchy fingers and want to get some seed sowing going, you can sow tomatoes, chillis, cobaea and a few others this month. These three all need to be started indoors somewhere a bit warm; you’ll be best to check the specific instructions on the packets you buy.
If you’re local to the Grimsby area (or if you’re not and don’t mind a long drive) I’m bringing back my seed swapping event for the second year 😊 After receiving such good feedback last year, I’ll be holding the event in March so keep an eye out for further details in the coming weeks.