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Forty sixth edition -
February 2005
It’s a joy to see the garden waking up after
winter, early bulbs poking their heads above the ground and
the landscape looking fresher somehow than in the pre-Christmas months. The spring bulbs, flowering shrubs
and cherry blossom are surely the best part of the gardening year. Spring
is also the busiest time in the garden, so try to get a head start before the weeds
start growing in the lengthening days. This is a great time to start sowing
seeds, indoors and outside.
It is a good idea to make a plan of bedding plants and other
annuals you want to grow this year and stick to it, rather than
getting carried away in the garden centre and being seduced by all the
beautiful displays...
Jobs for February
Lawns
Do you have a lot of moss in your lawn? Then get raking, or
better still use an electric scarifier to do the job. You will be surprised
how much moss comes out and it can all go on the compost heap.. Then you can
use a weed and feed to kill off the remainder of the moss.
Vegetables
Early sowings of many vegetables can be made in the
greenhouse, or under frames or cloches. These include Brussels sprouts,
Cabbage, Cauliflower, Lettuce and Leeks. If the weather is kind, sow Broad
Beans in the open. I quite like the habit of growing vegetables and salad
stuff in the flower borders. It doesn`t detract from the beauty of the
borders and has the added benefit of giving my non-gardening husband
something to enthuse over!
Paths and walkways
Continue to clear algae and moss off paths and walkways to avoid
accidents.. This can be done either with chemicals bought from your DIY
shop, a wire brush, or a power hose, which is good fun! I tend to use a wire
brush for awkward spots and a power washer for the larger areas..
 Bulbs
Move overcrowded snowdrops by digging up and splitting
clumps into smaller sections, then replanting them. Plant corms of spring
flowering bulbs outdoors for extra interest and keep indoor hyacinths and
narcissi moist. If you had Christmas hyacinths that are now well and truly
finished, allow them to dry out and die down, then plant them in a clump in
the garden for flowering in future years.
Pruning
Prune early summer and later flowering Clematis hybrids.
Prune Wisterias and ornamental grape vines. Tidy up shrubs or trees that
have suffered damage in the windy weather.
Wildlife
 Like
January, this is a crucial month for the wildlife that you feed.. Whether you
feed birds, badgers, squirrels or hedgehogs, don`t stop because it is too
cold to go outside. They will die because they have come to depend on
you for their survival.. If you have fish in your pond and the water freezes
due to low temperatures, ensure that a hole is left in the ice for the fish
to get enough oxygen to survive.. This is especially important with a shallow
pond.. Never break the ice with a tool such as a hammer because the noise
will shock the fish and kill them. Float a football on the water and that
will bob about and provide a space that will not freeze over.
Paths, walls and fencing
It has been a very windy time of year when a check of your
boundary walls or fences might reveal some damage.. A lick of paint on the
fence on a sunny day is very therapeutic and does wonders for freshening up
the faded panels.
Happy gardening.
 Thompson & Morgan
You
may obtain their free New 2005 Seed Catalogue by telephoning 01473 695224
and their website address is
www.thompson-morgan.com
where full information is available on their product varieties and orders
can be taken on-line.
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Gardener's Diary is a regular feature of
laterlife.com run by Rosemary Martin.
The National Botanic Garden of Wales
