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Jobs in your garden this February

The days are getting noticeably longer now, particularly on sunny days, and the countdown to the first day of Spring ticks on apace! February feels like the start of the gardening year (for me at least) because it’s usually the first month I will sow any seeds. February is also usually the month when I will have a proper sort out and clean of the greenhouse, as we’ll probably get a bright, cold day when it will be nice to be outside.  Of course, remember to keep your birdfeeders and water trays clean and topped up, as it’s still a tough month for our feathered garden helpers!

The days are getting noticeably longer now, particularly on sunny days, and the countdown to the first day of Spring ticks on apace! February feels like the start of the gardening year (for me at least) because it’s usually the first month I will sow any seeds. February is also usually the month when I will have a proper sort out and clean of the greenhouse, as we’ll probably get a bright, cold day when it will be nice to be outside.  Of course, remember to keep your birdfeeders and water trays clean and topped up, as it’s still a tough month for our feathered garden helpers!

Sow Things!

sowing

Time to dig out those seed trays and start sowing in earnest. I leave my sweet peas until this time of year (I tried the ‘Monty method’ of planting in October but they just got too leggy and needed potting on before Christmas!). It’s also time to start thinking about summer bedding (cosmos, lobelia, snapdragons etc), best sown and left in a sunny but frost-free place. Tender salad crops like peppers and tomatoes can also be sown now but will probably need to sit on a sunny windowsill (or heated propagator if you have one) to get them started.  It’s also a good time to start thinking about your summer bulbs; agapanthus, lilies and gloxinias will do well planted in pots but kept indoors until the weather warms up a bit more.  And, if you’re a potato grower, time to start chitting your first earlies by standing them in trays (or empty egg boxes) on a sunny windowsill.
You can find our general advice on sowing seeds here and our seed sowing calendars here.

Feed for the Futuremanure

If you can get your hands on (not literally!) some well-rotted manure, now is the time to fork it lightly into your beds and vegetable plot.  Don’t go mad (over-feeding plants can result in lots of fleshy green growth and fewer fruits or flowers), it’s just a gentle boost for your soil.  Your roses will love it! Fruit trees and bushes will probably benefit from a sprinkling of potash feed around their base at this of year, as it promotes fruiting.

This article from the Gardening Channel weighs up the pros and cons of feeding your soil and gives some handy tips on how to tell if your plants need extra fertilizing.

Devide Clumpsclumps

The easiest way to increase your stock of clump-forming plants is to dig them up and divide them; replant one piece back in the original hole and plant the others around the garden.  At this time of year, snowdrops can be divided in this way, ‘in the green’, still in flower or after they have flowered. Winter aconites can be divided after flowering too.  Now is also a good time to divide grasses and other herbaceous perennials (like peonies, hardy chrysanthemums and Salvias) to make new plants for free.
Find our tips on dividing herbaceous perennials here.

Pruneprune

February is your last chance to prune most plants before they will start coming into growth again so get to your fruit trees and bushes (if you haven’t already).  The same is also true of ornamental grasses; great to have left them for their structure and seed heads over the winter but now’s the time to cut or pull out the old growth to make room for new shoots.  (See our earlier article on caring for grasses if you need some further advice.)

Pruning wisteria now will encourage flowering in the spring; cut it back to three buds from the base of a shoot.  Plants that have flowered over the winter (heathers, mahonia or winter jasmine, for example) will benefit from a trim to tidy them up once the flowers are over.  (With heathers, as with lavender, remember not to cut back into old stem as its unlikely to regrow from there).  And, if you haven’t tidied up climbers like ivy and Virginia creeper already, do that now, before the birds think about nesting in them.

If you haven’t pruned your apple or pear trees yet, you should get on and do so as soon as you can.  Find our tips on how to here.

Protect

protect

At time of writing, the long-range forecast for February in our area is unsettled but rainy and with temperatures generally at or above average for the time of year, so it’s not looking likely that we’ll get drops of snow or heavy frosts. However, just in case we do, check any fleece or insulation you’ve placed around tender plants to make sure it’s still doing its job.  If a cold snap is forecast, think about protecting any early fruit blossoms (particularly stone fruits like peaches) from the weather. Covering strawberry plants with cloches will also help you get an earlier crop.

If we do get a decent snow fall, knock it off the branches of shrubs and conifers to prevent them snapping under the weight. Check if any plants have been loosened by the wind or cold-action and firm them back in to prevent root damage.

Spring is just around the corner now!

Further reading this February:
Don’t forget your Valentine’s Day gifts
We love snowdrops!
Tiptoe among the primroses
Be ready for Spring
Roses are not just for Valentine’s Day!

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N. Haggard 20 September 2022

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say how delighted I am with my new garden.

Jon, my designer, listened to my ideas and delivered on everything I asked for. I wanted something different to any garden I’d had before, no lawn, no landscaping but packed with plants. He designed such a lovely secret garden, around a statement tree. And I have to commend him for his unwavering patience! I changed my mind a hundred times but never did he give me the impression that he was losing patience with my endless indecision. And my confidence in him led me to place an order for over £10k.

My landscaping team, Blade and Tony, were exceptional, from their work ethic, skill and knowledge, to the way they dealt with me, the customer. My standards are very high and I couldn’t fault them.

All in all, a very professional team of people. And it showed that they all care. I’m over the moon with the finished result. I will send you a before and after photo. Thank you so much.

A delighted customer.

G. Gray. May 2022

My front garden has been transformed by Andy and Bradley who both worked incredibly hard and I am delighted with the result. Andy had the vision and skill to turn my idea into reality and I can't thank him enough.

C. Haig Sept 2021

We recently had our garden landscaped by Hambrooks and I just wanted to pass on my thanks, not just for the outcome - which is superb - but for the professionalism of all the staff involved on the job who are all a credit to you company. Mike, Dave, Les and Adam.

H. Sharp Sept 2021

I just wanted to let you know how delighted I am with my new garden. Melanie was a delight to work with and the ideas she had have worked perfectly. Also Sheldon laid the patio beautifully and him and Dave were a pleaseure to have at my house. Quiet workers and polite.

B. Rendell April 2021

I would like to say how delighted we are with the work carried out. Mel, Paul and Tony all worked very hard, they totally took on board the specific need relating to safety as well as the general garden issues. Paul and Tony were excellent at consulting and discussing with me what I felt best in terms of the brief and adjusting if and as necessary, constantly pleasant and polite to deal with. Mel had picked up on particular issues from the first consultation and offered valuable advice. The outcome means a great deal less worry for me going forward.
Altogether a very positive experience and outcome which I would not hesitate to recommend to others.

Stephen March 2021

Dom and Adam's work (garden maintenance) is greatly appreciated. Dom really listened to everything we discussed very carefully and went out of his way to understand and then act upon that discussion. We are extremely pleased with the work done - both to the pond and pyracantha.

Marsha

We have been coming to Hambrooks for years and it's our favourite garden centre because of its friendly helpful staff and a great selection of plants and trees and the garden design ideas.

“We wanted to write and say how pleased we are with our low maintenance garden makeover. We are very impressed with the attitude of your staff who were prepared to listen to our requirements. Your team John and Rick brushed up and left everything tidy at the end of the day. We now have a garden we can manage and it looks great. THANK YOU HAMBROOKS.”

Mr & Mrs Venables, Southampton. April 2019

“Dear Josh & Mike We just want to say you both did a brilliant job of designing our garden along with the guys who did the work who were amazing. A few weeks on its looks even better now some of the plants are blooming. Thank you!!”

Mr & Mrs Gazzard, Winchester July 2019

“To James, John & Rikki. Thank you so much, we are delighted with our new garden. We really appreciate the attention to detail, the high quality workmanship and the standard of the finished project. We are amazed at how John & Rikki resolved the difficulties of the site and by the quality of their craftmanship. It was a pleasure to work with them and thank you for making our ideas into something we will enjoy for years to come.”
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