Flower Garden

• Plant or divide snowdrops while they are still in the green
  
• Deadhead pansies and other winter bedding on a regular basis so that they carry on well into the spring
  
• Start gladioli corms and dahlia tubers off  by placing them in trays in a light, warm place
  
• Remove dead leaves from alpines and top dress with grit or gravel
  
• Plan your summer containers and bedding and buy plug plants to grow on in the greenhouse
  
• Slug killer should be added to the garden where you know hostas, delphiniums and lilies will soon be appearing. The best day to do this is St. Valentines day as it is the right time and the easiest date to remember
  
• Sow hardy annuals in pots or trays if you didn’t do this last autumn
  
• Wisteria should be pruned by cutting back the sideshoots to two or three buds
  
• Cut back group 3 clematis down to the lowest pair of strong buds and then feed and mulch
  
• At the end of the month top dress beds and borders with a fertiliser such a fish, blood and bone or Growmore

 
Lawns

• Turf can be laid if the ground is not frozen or really wet and then keep off of it for several weeks
  
• If the conditions allow, you can prepare the seed bed for making a new lawn in the spring
  
• As moles will be starting to mate this month watch out for increased activity and get rid of any mole hills that appear on the lawn. As the soil pushed up is so fine use it for seed sowing
  
• If you have noticed moss or algae on the lawn it means you have drainage problems. Make a note to improve drainage at a later date

 
Fruit and Vegetables

• Prune autumn raspberries, taking the old canes down to the ground and if summer fruiting raspberries are growing too tall for their support they can also be pruned
  
• Plant new fruit trees and bushes and bare rooted cane fruits
  
• If you have peaches, nectarines or apricots with early flowers you can protect them from frost with fleece
  
• Apply a general fertilizer to all your fruit using the rate given on the packet
  
• Now is a good time to mulch all the fruit beds with garden compost or well rotted manure
  
• Once you have an area of the garden or allotment prepared for seedbeds cover them with fleece, clear polythene or cloches to warm up the soil prior to sowing
  
• Seeds of summer vegetables can be sown now in pots or seed trays if you have a clay soil or outside if your soil is light. Sow lettuce, radish, onions, peas, broad beans and summer cabbage
  
• Buy seed potatoes and leave in a light but frost free place to chit. Stand them upright in trays or egg cartons with the end with most shoots uppermost
  
• From the middle of the month you can sow seeds of greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers in a heated propagator or warm room where the temperature does not drop below 70° F or 21°C

 
Wildlife

• Keep an eye on the water level of your wildlife pond and if it is low top up with water, preferably from a rainwater butt
  
• Put up nesting boxes for birds separately from bird feeders. Site them facing north or north east so they do not get too hot. If you can combine this with facing one of your windows you will have the added pleasure of seeing the mother bird coming and going and then the chicks leaving the nest
  
• Still provide adequate food for the birds but start to make the pieces smaller as it gets near to fledgling time. Birds really need our help now as there is very little natural food about for them and they need to build up their strength for  breeding
  
• In very mild weather hedgehogs, frogs and toads may emerge from hibernation. If you see any signs of this the hedgehogs would appreciate a little extra feeding with cat or dog food

 
Looking Good This Month

Bergenia - Evergreen with pink flowers. Good ground cover
Camellia Williamsii - “Anticipation” now has paeony like crimson flowers
Clematis Armandii - Climber – the only scented clematis
Corylus Av. Contorta - Contorted Hazel. Unusual shape for a focal point
Crocus Tommasinianus - Common crocus with jewel colours
Cyclamen Coum - Purple flowers with silvery leaves
Erica Darleyensis - Heather with flowers from pale pink to magenta
Narcissus - Daffodils Like February Gold
Hellebore Orientalis - Lenten Rose. Evergreen with darker flowers
Viburnum Tinus - Dark evergreen leaves, pink buds open to white flowers


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