IT’S BOTH EXCITING AND ENLIGHTENING
For example, grey skies and drying winds epitomise the month and indeed the appearance of the garden can be in the same mood en facie. But look more closely early in the month and the first blooms will probably be more advanced than you previously imagined.
But the real joyous moments of the month come more and more as February progresses. As the first spring-like sunshine brightens the scene, so a whole array of early flowering bulbs grace pockets in borders and areas under trees.
This month we feature bright variegated evergreens which have a vital role to play at any stage in the winter. Above all this is the month of excitement and anticipation and the waiting of the whole season ahead. It is also a time to plan and prepare for those vibrant displays such as those of hardy annuals.
A bit of all white
SNOWDROPS seem to be almost everyone’s favourite winter bloomer, and there’s little wonder. Despite their delicate appearance, they are tough as old boots standing up to even the worst of winter weather. They look superb in clumps in a rockery and are beautifully effective when naturalised in grass or a woodland border. Native to much of Europe and Western Asia, they thrive in our cool, damp temperate climate. They establish quickly when planted in rich moist soil with added leaf mould compost and prefer dappled shade.
The best time to buy, plant and transplant them is between now and April, ‘in the green’. When planting, add a dusting of bonemeal to the soil. Here are a few varieties for the enthusiasts along with their leaf and flower description respectively:
1. Galanthus Nivalis - bluey green / scented and bell shaped.
2. Galanthus Nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ - bluey green / double flowered.
3. Galanthus Elwessi - blue grey / big.
4. Galanthus Ikariae - deep / delicate.
5. Galanthus Plicatus - dull / patches.
WINTER Aconites spring up in the strengthening rays of February sunshine even when the ground itself may be frozen. Their vibrant yellow blooms are one of the first flowers of the year, even opening before the snowdrops. Performing superbly under trees, they will easily naturalise once established. Buy and plant them ‘in the green’ in early spring.
All you need is Lav
THERE is a grey area concerned with pruning roses in winter or early spring and we will unravel the myths about this next month. Most people will have a rather shaky go at pruning roses. But how often do you see those leggy, really woody, Lavenders that have been neglected for only two or three years. They are never reviveable. If you purchased and planted Lavenders last year then this is a short guide to keep them compact and bushy for years to come.
First of all, I would say they can be pruned pretty harshly down to five or six inches in height. But this must be played by ear as there must be a reasonable amount of lively foliage left. There is no point pruning them back into dead basal growth as they will recover disappointedly slowly. Use any hardwood cuttings to basically shove in the ground where you have space and remove the top debris.
Lavender is well-known to enhance sleep and by pruning your plants in this way, you can have plenty of rest knowing your flowerheads will be, once again, in abundance this summer.
By the end it should have bean a peas-ful month
USE THIS month to prepare the ground for the late spring sowing of sweet peas and runner beans. It is important to thoroughly and deeply prepare the ground by digging a trench (for a row) or circle about 6ft across for a wigwam. Dig at least 18ins deep and if the ground has been previously uncultivated, then break up the soil at the bottom of the spit. Add plenty of bulky organic matter to the bottom and to the soil you backfill with.
Providing some cheer early on in the year!
BRIGHT evergreens provide an invaluable backdrop to deeper leaf colours or the first rich blue crocus and add a sense of vibrancy and cheerfulness to the winter garden. And, as a matter of fact at anytime of the year. They look particularly dramatic when laced with hoar frost. And also when the ground beneath is mulched with gravel producing a Mediterranean feel.
They are also invauluable in containers on the patio where they can be seen at close quarters from the house. Here are a few of my favourites...........
1. Euonymus ‘Emerald n’ Gold’ - This slow growing shrub will grow just about anywhere and it is a pleasing sight with its bright variegated gold and green leaves. It looks good cut into globe shapes about 18ins wide and high.
2. Convolvulus ‘Cneorum’ - This is a beautiful bright silvery leaved Mediterranean plant which also produces blinding white trumpet shaped flowers in June and July. It requires a warm sunny spot and well-drained soil.
3. Lavandula pinnata - has very finely cut silvery foliage, and bobbly mauve flower heads all summer. Growing to just 14 ins high, it is ideal for a clay pot in a warm, sunny spot. It is also suitable for a gravel bed.
4. Ceonothus variegata - is ideal for training against a wall or fence, where it’s soft variegated golden foliage looks superb. Masses of lilac blue flowers are a bonus in May. It likes a sheltered, sunny position.
5. Leucothoe ‘Scarletta’ - provides bright red leaves on a mound of older green leaves all year round. The new foliage in spring is a lovely soft rosy-pink.
Always in a month of Cin-daisies
PERICALLIS (Florest’s Cineraria) are readily available from florists and garden shops and are excellent value for money. If you have a cool room, their masses of daisy-like flowers will last for weeks on end on a bright window sill. The colour range exists from white and pale pink through purple to inky blues and the blooms are slightly freshly scented.
Tovey’s Tips
1. Sow seeds of half-hardy annuals such as African Marigolds and Petunias in small seed trays covered with polythene at about 20ºC. Keep moist.
2. If you need cheering up, pop down your local garden centre to purchase crocus and dwarf Narcissi and pop them into your patio pots and rockeries.
3. Prune summer flowering deciduous shrubs such as Potentilla by giving them a haircut. Severely hack back Lavatera and Buddleias.
A mild-mannered month
FEBRUARY 2004 looks like starting to warm up in the first few days. But expect the rain to return too. The second week should be mild and changeable and then we should see a good deal of sunshine for the third week with overnight frosts. Later in the month, the change comes from the north again bringing potential wintry weather which may well be brief.
What to expect with your March-ing orders
IN MARCH we discover many varieties of Narcissi as well as early flowering scented shrubs, such as Daphnes and Forsythias. We will give you some top tips from personal experience on how to germinate some of the more difficult half-hardy annuals and how to prune roses.
See you next month!
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