Happy February everyone! There’s lots to be getting on with this month, from a bit of practical pruning to potting up some bulbs for some lovely, early spring blooms. Keep reading to find out my top three jobs you can get out and do in your garden this February…
🌷 Pot up spring bulbs for early colour
If you want to fill your garden with some lovely, early spring colour, then now’s the perfect time to make your own potted bulb planter!
I’ve picked up some lovely, multi-headed daffodils from my local British Garden Centre that will flower in just a couple of weeks.
I’ve chosen a nice, simple terracotta planter to put them, but just about any pot will work. Bowls also work really well for potted bulbs as they can be planted quite shallow.
The first you need to do is take the bulbs out of the nursery pot, carefully separate them out, and then place them on top of some gritty compost. Then just cover them over with some grit to firm them in place.
Then simply pop them somewhere nice and sunny, and in a few short weeks you’ll have some beautiful, early spring flower to enjoy!
🌹 Prune roses to set them up for a bloom‑filled summer
If you want to get the best blooms from your rose bush this year, then now’s a good time to give yours a bit of a prune (unless you’ve got a rambling variety which you can leave for now).
Start by looking out for any dead, dying, diseased or damaged stems and removing them.
Then move onto the side shoots, aiming to cut each one back so it has 2 or 3 buds left, always cutting just above a bud.
If you’ve got a mature or climbing rose, now’s a great time to secure its main stems to a wire or trellis, making sure to space out the shoots so there’s plenty of room for lots of lovely flowers.
🥔 Chit seed potatoes for a stronger, faster crop
Growing your own seed potatoes this year? Now’s the time to start chitting!
Chitting sounds quite technical but it’s actually really simple.
All you need to do is take your seed potato, look for where the most eyes are, and place that side pointing up on a tray or, as I like to do, in an empty egg box!
Then simply leave these somewhere that’s cool, frost-free and sunny, and in about 6 weeks they’ll have put out some sturdy sprouts and be ready to plant out in the garden.
Chitting your potatoes now ensures your potatoes get off to the best possible start meaning lots of lovely potatoes for you to enjoy this summer!
If you haven’t already picked up your seed potatoes, it’s not too late. Pop into your local British Garden Centre or order online and get them shipped straight to your door…
Thanks for reading.
