February is often referred to as the last month of winter but don’t be fooled it will still be cold for a couple of months yet and there are often late frosts well into May. So after that cheery news I am sure you are all thinking, I really should get out in the garden and see what is going on.
As the days lengthen buds are starting to swell with early flowering bulbs and shrubs bring colour and scent to this dismal time of year. Snowdrops, winter aconites, daphne, winter flowering jasmine, primroses, violas and forget-me-nots are sure to make you smile, not just with their blooms but with their sweet delicate scent.
So what about purchasing a plant propagator? I have one with all the whistles and bells on it, thermostatically controlled heating, ventilation and grow lights but they don’t come cheap. I am also fortunate in that I am retired so I can check how the seeds are doing several times throughout the day.
Trays with plastic lids are sold as plant propagators in many outlets but in my experience are of limited value, whilst they do slow the compost from drying out, they offer little help regarding a stable temperature or additional light essential for good strong growth. The key issue with sowing seedlings or taking cuttings for that matter is being able to provide good light conditions. A heated greenhouse is perfect but a conservatory will provide good all round light which is better light than an ordinary windowsill.
For starting small pots of seed off I have a fairly simple technique, sowing the seed in the usual way into a small pot, usually 7 or 9 cm, square or round, watering the seed with fine spray or by standing the pot in a saucer of water for a few minutes then allowing to drain. I then use a zip type plastic food bag, just large enough to accommodate the plant pot and leaving 12.5 – 15cm above the pot. This allows space for the seedlings to develop, but whilst the general advice is to place the bag over the pot, I on the other hand place the whole pot inside the bag with the zip at the top. This means that no water is going to come out of the pot and you can easily check how things are going by opening and closing the zip top, ventilating when the temperature rises, or spraying if the seedlings need water. It is also easy to pick up the bag from the top keeping the pot and its contents from spilling whilst taking it to the potting bench.
Neatly clipped edges really do enhance the lawn, but maintaining a crisp edge requires careful maintenance. If the edges become damaged or out of shape its a good idea to carry out repairs at this time of year. Avoid frosty days or when the ground has been frozen for some time or if the lawn is waterlogged. A mild dry day is ideal although I appreciate they are few and far between at this time of year. If the edges just need tidying up then it is a fairly easy process using a string line, a half moon edging iron and a straight plank of wood. If your lawn has curved edges then it is a little more tricky but you could use a hose pipe as a guide. A half moon edging iron has a curved edge but the blade is flat which gives a much better finish, If you look closely at a spade the blade is slightly dished and will result in a wobbly edge.
You may think that it makes sense to leave this job until late spring but believe me at that time you will be busy sowing, mowing and weeding so any maintenance job you can do at this time of year will save time and stress later.
Ornamental Grasses have become increasingly popular over the past few years adding a soft and somewhat natural texture to planting schemes. The down side is that they can look scruffy at this time of year especially if they have been flattened by the weather.
Grasses fall into two main groups, those who’s leaves die down (deciduous) and those where the majority of leaves stay green (evergreen), each requires a slightly different treatment.
First and foremost make sure your secatures and shears are clean and sharp and wear a stout pair of gardening gloves as some grasses have serrated edges and can cause injury.
Deciduous grasses can be cut back to ground level, the resulting arisings being consigned to the compost heap. Evergreen grasses on the other hand need only the dead stems and leaves removing, the best way to do this is to gently run your (gloved) fingers through the plant whilst gently squeezing your fingers together, this should dislodge loose dead leaves, although you may need to use your secatures for the old flowering stems. Any material you remove can go on the compost heap.
Next month, (dead heading spring bulbs, pot grown perennials, put in plant supports).
Happy Gardening,
Martin
