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Spring is just round the corner and the garden is changing every day. At this time of year, there is always something to keep you busy in the garden and here’s what our outdoor team at Armitage’s recommend you should be doing in your garden in February.
Climbers
Plant climbers are perfect for providing colour, height and interest for clothing walls, fences, arches and arbours as well as for screening compost heaps and other unsightly objects. Fast-growing plants like Clematis, Ivy, Honeysuckle, Virginia Creeper, and Roses are perfect choices. If your soil is too wet and sticky then delay planting until conditions improve.
Vegetables
This is a perfect time to make a start on producing tasty vegetables for the summer. You can plant shallots outside – although in cold areas it’s best to start them in pots of compost and keep them in a cold frame or greenhouse. Sow summer Cauliflowers in seed trays in warmth. But don’t be too impatient to start sowing outside; you can warm the soil ready for sowing next month by covering it with clear polythene or cloches. Garden structures
Now’s a good time to check over fences, trellis and pergolas before climbers burst into growth and make the job more tricky. You can make any repairs or improvements as necessary as well as installing any new features you’ll want for the coming year. Summer flowering bulbs
Although it’s too early to plant these in the garden, buy them now to ensure you get the range of varieties you require. Amongst the huge variety of summer flowering bulbs we have in stock are Begonias, Canna and Dahlia tubers. These can now be started into growth with heat indoors. Don’t forget to stock up on pots, compost, labels, twine and all the other sundries you’ll need to get the best out of all your summer bulbs and tubers.
Pest watch
Don’t let garden pests and diseases get you down this year, by looking at your plants now and dealing with the problems that may be present, you’ll prevent them from getting out of control. Use slug pellets, protective spays and polythene covers to keep pests under control.
Borders
A few minutes spent on your borders now will reap huge benefits later in the year. Lightly trim winter flowering heathers when the flowers fade to improve their shape and flowering potential for next year. Lift, divide and replant snowdrops after flowering. Cut back the dead stems of herbaceous perennials to ground level and lift and divide any congested clumps that didn’t flower well last year.
Annuals
Now’s a good time to start on sowing summer bedding plants indoors, as long as you can provide the right heat and light conditions. You can sow Sweet Peas, Dianthus, Lobelia, Ageratum and bedding Geraniums. Don’t forget to pick up everything you’ll need for success, such as propagators, compost, pots, seed trays and labels.
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