Mzz B's Garden notes for February

Hellbore

Iris reticulata- very early dwarf

Snowdrop- Wasp

Ribes laurifolium/ winter flowering currant

Fern

Camellia

Sarcocca/ Sweet Box

Wintersweet/chimonanthus praecox

The Garden in February

The days are definitely getting longer and some plants have begun to wake up, but the soil is still cold and there will be frost at night.
So although as you a see from the photos there are plenty of things blooming and smelling beautiful in the garden it is still early days in the gardening calendar. The plants in the photos are all designed to attract early insects in different ways- some have small flowers like Sarcocca and Wintersweet which have really strong perfumes, even some snowdrops have a strong perfume- but difficult to smell unless you pick them and bring them indoors.- others have larger flowers to attract the insects. The fern came from a mixed tray of unnamed winter ferns which i have really enjoyed as it is still glowing bright in a dark shaded place.
So resist that urge to sow seeds for another month until the soil warms a little and the light gets stronger. Unless you have a heated propagator, in which case you can sow chillies and tomatoes, but you will need to grow them on in the lightest warmest place you have.

But what can you do on the garden now:

• If the soil isn't frozen, you can split and divide perennials like asters, and hardy geraniums- replant in a new place. If you have wet clay you will have to wait until this dries out a little.
• Chit early potatoes- stand in egg boxes in light frost free space and let shoots develop.
• Cut back deciduous ornamental grasses, evergreen grasses just need a rake through.
• Prune summer flowering clematis-if they flower after July prune to 30cm.
• Prune bush roses and finish pruning fruit trees..
• Think about a no dig veg garden to preserve those microbes, and plan your garden with this in mind.
• Clear borders of plants stems that you have left for wildlife over winter, but you can build small heaps of the stems to allow the insects shelter until the soil warms up.
• Think about how sustainable your garden is? Do you save seed and grow your own, reuse plastic pots, make compost? are there places for wildlife to live undisturbed? Insects feed birds which can help control pests in the garden without the use of insecticide.

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