Last modified on Thu 4 Feb 2021 10.09 EST
Gardening in February is all about enjoying signs of spring and getting ready for the growing season. Whether you have a single window ledge, a balcony or a whole garden to play with, there is plenty to do â even in British weather â to prepare.
Five things you should plant
Now is the time to invest in some planting that will pay dividends come summer. Bare root season goes on until the end of next month and is a thrifty, sustainable way to fill borders: roses are often sold this way, sent in the post without soil or pot. Choose a single-flowered rose to attract bees, such as the butter-yellow Tottering-By-Gently from David Austin Roses, who send bare roots in plastic-free packaging.
Credit: Andrew Crowley
Potatoes
Chit your potatoes now. Place them in a single layer somewhere cool, light and frost-free where they can start to sprout, and so hopefully start growing more quickly once they are planted.
Peaches
Peaches start to flower when there are few pollinators around to finish the job. Step in to the breach with a soft paintbrush and “paint” the insides of each flower, spreading the pollen. Make a note to plant crocuses and other early flowerers as further lures.
Meadow
Consider planting a stretch of meadow. Pictorial Meadows (pictorialmeadows.co.uk) mixes seed of natives with other colourful plants. I like its “Pastel” annual mix – Ammi majus, cornflower, cosmos and Shirley poppies.