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February Garden notes

I don’t know about you but I am busting to get out into the garden and get planting tons of seeds and bulbs right now. I know I need to wait at least till March, but I desperately want to have a cut flower garden this year in my postage stamp-size garden. So, although February still has frost on the ground gardens around the country are getting ready to wake up. Have you spotted any snowdrops yet?

The days are slowly getting longer and I’m pretty sure I’ll soon be able to potter about in the garden after the dog walk – before work – even if it’s just for half an hour. This year I’m thinking of my cutting garden as a marathon, not a sprint. So if you’re up for joining me on my gardening journey, let’s get prepping for a spring and summer in full bloom.

Gardening in February: Prepping for a Blooming Spring

February is a month for the three ‘P’s – prepping, planning, and a few last-minute pruning jobs. It’s waaay too early to plant out – even in a greenhouse – unless you have great heating in there. So, grab your gardening gloves and a warm cuppa—let’s dive into what’s happening in the garden this February!

What’s Blooming Now?

Despite the cold, some spring flowers are already popping up. It’s not too late to add these to your garden this year.

Snowdrops – These delicate white flowers thrive in February, brightening up shaded spots. My MIL swears by Sarah Raven plants so here’s a useful link to those Snowdrops
Hellebores – Also known as winter roses, they provide stunning colour in pinks, purples, and whites. Some flower from now until April. These are are firm fave with me. Crocus have some beautiful varieties
Crocuses – The moment we see these colourful blooms we know warmer weather is on the way. If you didn’t plant up bulbs last year it’s not too late. Grab these pots of bulbs for early colour this year, next year and beyond.
Winter Aconites – These golden-yellow flowers create instant uplift to any space. If you want to fill your garden every year check out Boston Bulbs where you can buy them in packs of anything from 10 to 1000!

Jobs to do in February

Prune shrubs and trees – If you didn’t get around to it last year, now is a great time to trim wisteria, roses, and fruit trees to encourage strong new growth. I don’t know about you but here in Kent we’ve had roses blooming all through the winter – even with the frost. I’m hoping it’s a sign that this is going to be a good year for them.
Clear leaves and fallen twigs – Now is the time to clean up fallen leaves and dead foliage to prevent pests and diseases getting into your flower beds
Mulch flower beds – A layer of peat free compost or well-rotted manure will improve soil structure and feed plants during the growing season. I’m doing this for the first time this year. I’ve done the ‘no dig’ method before where you add cardboard to a flower bed and cover it with soil or compost from your compost bin and leave it over the winter. It’s great as you can plant straight into the top soil without needing to weed. Mulching is the same thing – but with nutrients.
Check garden structures – Take a look at your fences, sheds, and trellises for winter damage and make any repairs. I’m mentioning this a reminder to myself. Our shed is leaking, the garage has a big green plant growing through the gaps in the roof and we need to paint the new fence grey as we put up at the end of last year and it’s still brown and sticks out like a sore thumb. If we don’t paint it soon the plants will grow and cover it and we won’t be able to get to it! What do you need to do before the greenery makes it impossible to reach?
Clean pots and tools – I’ve got a ton of plant pots from last year and now is a great time to give them a good clean to prevent the spread of disease. I give all my posts and seed trays a clean in washing up liquid before disinfecting them.
Sharpen and oil cutting tools – for clean pruning. It will help them to last longer. I remember years and years ago seeing Alan Tichmarsh on Gardeners World putting engine oil into a bucket full of sharp sand. He wiped off the dirt and pushed his tools into the sand giving them a good wiggle. It stopped them from getting rusty.

Gardener’s Finds

Before the sun is out and there aren’t enough hours in the day to get all the gardening chores done, why not make sure you have everything you need now. Here’s a roundup of some of my favorites this February

CAnvas French Chore Jacket by The Nautical Company

The Mini Bird Pizza Kit- I’m sure this is meant for kids but I love the look of it. This Bird Feeder, from The Den Kit Company comes complete with bird food, a wooden pizza base and a mini bird identifier booklet. Cute!
Polytunnels at home – Ever wanted to grow veg without the nibbles of birds and slugs whilst trapping heat and retaining moisture? I didn’t know you could get such cute polytunnels. There are many to choose from at Agriframes including this neat 1m Cloche. Lettuces at the ready!
Neat planting – If you’re anything like me you make a huge mess when planting up anything from seeds to plug plants, but no more. This compost scoop not only holds the perfect amount of soil to fill a plant pot but you can control it easily so there are less spills. Designed by Sophie Conran it’s also a thing of beauty.
Thorn-proof gauntlet gardening gloves. I have to admit these Slamore Gardening gloves were top of my Christmas list and I may have squealed a little when I opened them up on Christmas day. They’re thick, yet comfy, warm and most importantly they’re thorn proof – which is great when dealing with brambles – which I did. I cannot rate them enough!
Slug proof rings. I’m all for natural deterrents when it comes to pest control and I’ve often heard that copper rings are the way to go when it comes to slugs. This year, I’m investing in some to keep my dahlias alive long enough to grow at least two leaves. Unlike last year when every millimetre was eaten by the slimy blighters. Wish me luck! By the way Copper And Green have some beautiful gardening tools. Check them out.
Keep Warm and move easily. I wasn’t planning on including clothing in this month’s round-up but when a friend shared how a certain garden personality wears a canvas jacket whilst pottering in the garden I just couldn’t resist. I think there’s a real benefit to having specific clothes for in the garden. You want ones that will keep you warm, allow you to move and can be washed when they get a bit grubby. At this time of year this French Chore Jacket by The Nautical Company ticks all the boxes.

Dig into the latest gardening books

RHS The Garden Almanac 2025: The month-by-month guide to your best ever gardening year (RHS Garden Almanac)

I may be a little biased in sharing this book as I know the author Zia Allaway. We worked together when I was Home Editor at Woman and Home Magazine. She made it very easy for me to find gardens to feature each Summer. I bought RHS The Garden Almanac 2025 the moment I saw Zia mention on her LinkedIn page. In fact I bought it before it was launched. My gardening bug was well under way and it was perfectly timed.

The book is by the RHS and has beautiful illustrations by Angie Lewin, photographs and advice from RHS experts including Zia’s co- author Chief Horticulturist Guy Barter. It’s full of advice on what to grow and when, which wildlife to watch out for and how to be sustainable in your garden. It’s been on my kitchen table for breakfast reading since I bought it.

Go get your copy now to stay on top of what to do this year in your garden

The Veggie Plot

According to my ever-growing library of gardening books, Alan (Titchmarsh, Monty (Don), Rachel De Thame and The RHS all say to wait until March to start planting your veg seeds. They will grow happily on a window sill inside but they’ll just get “leggy” and the last thing we want is leggy carrots! So now is the time to start planning for a vegetable patch that will produce throughout the months by purchasing your seeds ready for next month. This is my plan for the end of Feb/beginning of March.

Sow indoors: Tomatoes, chillies, and early salad crops can be started in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill.
Direct sow: If the soil isn’t frozen, broad beans, onion sets, and garlic outside- we’re addicted to garlic.
Prepare potato beds: Start chitting seed potatoes in a bright, frost-free place to encourage strong shoots before planting in March.
Rhubarb forcing: Cover rhubarb crowns with a forcing pot or an upturned bucket to produce tender, early stems. I won’t be doing this as my next-door neighbours have been giving us their rhubarb for 17 years! It grows so well in round here. Rhubarb leaves are huge – Jurassic in my opinion and look fabulous. If I didn’t think I’d offend I would definitely be planting these.

That’s it for this month.

Let me know what you’re planning to do in your garden this month. With a little planning and prep, your garden will be ready to burst into life when spring arrives. February may still feel like winter, but it’s the perfect time to get ahead for a colourful garden in the months ahead.

Happy gardening!