Garden Jottings for February

Christine Brown

President, AHS.

A Focus on… Seeds

At the start of the year, we’re not sure what each day will bring. We have had some truly “proper” winter weather with deep cold, and all living things outlined with hoar frost sparkling against beautiful sunsets of golden deep pink. Then we have had days of damp drizzly grey gloom and deep mud everywhere. However, we look forward to February with hope of Spring and the emergence of lovely early blooms. Amongst these, hellebores which need to be divested of their old tatty leaves to see their proud flower heads. However, do see if you can leave a few of these newer leaves to clothe their naked stems. Epimediums also should have their old leaves cut back to reveal their dainty new flower buds hidden under last year’s foliage. These plants love shady areas where ferns, anemone blanda and aconites do best. These are all choosy plants, but where you can place them well, they will flourish. It is good practise to plant these along with smaller daffodils, primroses and snowdrops in a shady area under trees which provide shade from the heat when they are in leaf. Try to add leaf mould to this area to nourish these small beauties.

Borders look beautiful in truly cold weather, but by now the damp has finally wreaked havoc amid remaining herbaceous foliage and seed heads. Time to cut these back and tidy beds to reveal daffodils and irises in new growth and buds appearing. Cut back Autumn-fruiting raspberries to the ground and give a mulch along with rhubarb crowns which benefit from a mulch of manure at this time. Later on in the month we need to concentrate on lawns (keep off in frosty or very wet weather). Other tasks include lily planting – deeply and straight as bought; wisteria and clematis pruning and spitting and replanting of snowdrops as they finish flowering. 

But the main preoccupation of this fairly quiet time of year is the planting of seeds. This is nature’s way of increasing plants and simplest method for gardens to raise flowering plants in a thrifty way. It is always best to obtain the best quality seeds you can as the results are far superior and make growing plants from seeds very rewarding. Hardy annuals grow easily from seed sown early and will flower and set seed in the same year where they are to flower. It’s as easy as that! Their main requirements are an open sunny site and well-drained soil in good condition. To get the best results fork over the ground a few days before sowing and add some fertiliser such as bone meal which is a slow-acting substance that will make plant roots grow down into the soil. Manure may seem a good addition but will only promote large soft leafy growth not quality plants and flowers.

Do not sow seed when the soil is wet and sticky but wait until it is warm and friable. After sowing the seed, cover lightly with soil and water just to moisten the earth. When seedlings are two to three inches high, they can be thinned out to give each one enough room to develop well.  Settle in the remaining plants and water them in. Thinnings can be planted elsewhere in the garden. You can plant in the flower border or in rows in a cutting border if you have room for this. Nigella (love in a mist), poppies, calendula, lavatera, godetia iberis (candytuft), clarkia, cornflower and larkspur are all good varieties.

Half-hardy annuals are usually native to warmer climes so they need to be grown in heated conditions in February or March although it should be warm enough in late April for the seed to germinate. Some later flowering plants can be sown in the open in May and June where they are to flower. They will be useful to prolong the later flowering season.

Seeds should be sown in trays of seed compost which should be pressed down firmly with a small piece of wood the same size as the trays; after lightly watering, sow them sparsely, sprinkle over some compost or vermiculite to cover. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, usually with two pairs of leaves, lift them carefully prising the soil up with a dibber or plant label and prick them out into another larger tray or modular 2 inches apart. Plant them firmly, handling with their leaves not their stems. When the weather is warmer and they have grown larger, take trays out to a sheltered place to harden them off before planting them where they are to flower. Nemesia, ageratum, petunia, verbena, tithonia, mesembryanthemum and dahlia are good varieties planted in this way, but asters, cosmos, zinnia, African and French marigolds can be sown directly where they are to flower in June, sown into well-cultivated soil in a sunny position.

Biennials are sown one year but make flower and seed the next year. These are usually sown in a seed bed or in a tray in July and August. Sow them thinly and covered lightly with soil (never cover seeds with too much compost) after watering the earth. As explained before, thin the plants and space them out to be grown on into sturdy plants to plant out in the border. Wallflowers, Canterbury bells, hollyhocks, stocks, sweet williams, foxgloves and violas are all good specimens to raise nice plants from seed. However, sweet peas along with vegetable peas should be grown in pots undercover with broad beans also sown in February. vegetable peas can be grown to harvest as tendrils or pea shoots an add stir fries and will be ready next month to harvest.

Vegetable seeds can be grown undercover in a greenhouse propagator or on a warm windowsill. Peas and beans can be grown in pots or modules and sprouts, summer cabbage, lettuce, spring onions and indoor tomatoes grown as directed for annual seeds. Early varieties of seed potatoes should be put into trays on end to chit or sprout as they will be planted in March when we will also plant onion sets. So, if the weather is suitable, try to dig over the soil in the vegetable plot and remove any perennial weeds and dig in annual ones and rake the surface to make a nice tilth in preparation for the new season.

Whatever you do at this time, do little and often, and keep an eye on the greenhouse, airing it by opening the door and vents on milder days but with a thought to cover tender plants with fleece should we have a cold snap. Greenhouses are quite tricky to keep well-ventilated but not chilled as too much moisture is worse than too little. Only water if plants look as though they need it as it is easy for them to rot off and get mildew on their leaves. So, it pays to be aware of the changing weather and temperature.

Enjoy sweet smelling shrubs and the start of another round of wonderful plants and wildlife in our gardens.