Febuary - Seasonal Calendars - Get Into Gardening

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February

Knowing what grows well in the garden is really important. But with 12 months a year, remembering what, when and where can be tricky. That’s why we’ve put together this seasonal calendar. So you can check what you could be doing this month, and what you should be planting later in the year.

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Things to do

Now is the best time to wander around the garden and check the condition of your plants. Remove any dead flower heads to keep your beds looking nice – and to encourage great displays of colour in the spring.

: Vegetable Garden
It’s time to start planting your broad beans, early carrots and parsnips (under cloches). Shallots can also be planted out. If you’ve got a propagator (heated growing box) you can plant summer cabbage, leeks and onions.

Early potatoes – Buy seed potatoes of early varieties and place in trays with their sprouting ends up. Keep in a cool but light spot for the shoots to develop, ready for planting later in March.

New fruit – Bare-rooted fruit trees, bushes and soft fruits can all be planted now.

: Bedding Plants
Cut the dead flower heads off any faded flowers in your beds to keep them tidy and encourage more colourful blooms in the spring.

Tough plants like Lobelia, Pansy, Antirrhinum, Petunia and Impatiens can be planted in glass growing boxes this month (these should be inside to protect from the cold and frost). A great range of spring flowering bed plants are available at Homebase.

: Bulbs
Cut the dead flower heads off faded Daffodils. Divide bulbs like Snowdrops and plant.

: Climbing Plants
Give summer-flowering plants like Clematis a good cutting back – it will help new growth during the spring.

: Containers
Give potted plants an instant boost of nutrients by replacing the top layer of soil with fresh compost.

: Fruit
Prune your fruiting raspberries now, cutting all stems back to ground level. While they're still dormant, prune large apple and pear trees removing dead and dying branches. Plant new fruit bushes for the coming year. For ideas and a great range, pop to your local Homebase.

: Greenhouse
Give your greenhouse a good clean to make it nice and light and kill off any pests.

: Houseplants
Spruce up your home with some winter houseplants such as Azalea, Cyclamen, Cymbidium or Hyacinths.

: Lawn
Repair and re-shape lawn edges. When the weather is better you can lay new turf.

: Perennials (winter surviving plants)
If the weather is mild enough, lift and divide your perennial plants to promote healthy and fast growth.

: Shrubs
Now is the time to dig up and reposition any garden shrubs. You can also cut back (prune) winter-flowering shrubs that have finished flowering.

: Trees
Try planting Salix Kilmarnock – a beautiful small weeping tree, ideal for little gardens. Available at Homebase between December to March.

: Vegetables
Start picking your winter veg like kale, brussel sprouts and cabbages. Start planting beetroot seeds (but make sure you protect them from frosts). You can also plant your first crops of early carrots and broad beans under cloches.