Jobs To Do In February

Sorry if some of them have already been mentioned.

All around the garden:

BORDERS: Fork well-rotted farmyard manure into borders now, if you can get it, or dig in homemade garden compost.

BRICKS AND SLABS: Replace any that are loose, particularly in high-traffic areas of the garden.

CLEMATIS: Prune late-flowering types.

CONIFERS: Tie in any loose branches to prevent spreading or breakage under snow or during strong winds.

DECIDUOUS HEDGES: Trim lightly to tidy them up. Shred hedge cuttings and add them to the compost heap.

FURNITURE: Clean, repair and restore garden furniture. Even naturally durable timber, such as western red cedar, will benefit from a teak oil treatment.

GRAVEL: Top up gravel pathways, where required, and also mulch alpine areas with pea shingle.

HELLEBORES: Cut off any leaves that are looking tired and tatty in readiness for the flowers. Read more about growing hellebores from Sue Hamilton.

PAMPAS GRASS: Carefully comb out or cut the old foliage from pampas grass. Its late-summer and autumn plumes could have grown to around 3m (10ft), but take care - the leaves have very sharp edges.

POTTED PLANTS: We top-dress these with fresh compost, or another suitable mulch.

ROLL-UP PATHS FOR DAMAGE CONTROL: Adding organic matter usually means carting compost and leaf mould around the garden with a wheelbarrow. Heavy-duty trundling over muddy beds and wet lawns can damage soil structure and the grass, so try using a temporary roll-up garden path to save the lawn and prevent the wheelbarrow from becoming stuck in the mud. Some versions clip together for extra width and length. Roll-up paths cost about £20-£25 for a 3m (10ft) length.

WATER FEATURES: Remove debris, such as fallen leaves, that weighs down pond netting. Remove any build-up of sludge. Check for leaks in pond liners and repair any you come across. Wash cobbles and clean up any other ornaments – not always a pleasant task in cold weather, but worth carrying out before frogs, toads and newts begin breeding.

WOOD CHIPPINGS: At the end of February, we spread these over the borders to reduce weeding later in the year. Rake over to give a tidy appearance.


Greenhouse:

BRUSSELS SPROUTS: In the second week of February we will sow the variety 'Bedford Fillbasket' into trays.

CABBAGES: We pot 'Golden Acre Primo' into 7cm (3in) pots at the end of the month.

CELERIAC: We will sow the variety 'Brilliant' into trays in mid-February.

CHRYSANTHEMUMS: We move chrysanths from the greenhouse to the cut-flower area.

CAULIFLOWERS: In the third week, we prickk out 'Candid Charm' plants into 7cm (3in) pots.

HERBS: Sow parsley into trays. The variety 'Favorit' really is a favourite. In mid-February, we will sow basil 'Lemon' into trays.

LEEKS: In mid-February, we will sow the variety 'Prizetaker' into trays.

LETTUCE: In the third week of February, we prickk out 'Fristina' into 7cm (3in) pots.

MARIGOLDS: In the third week we sow the pot marigold Calendula 'Daisy May' and (French and African) Tagetes 'Honeycomb', 'Bo Jangle', 'Sparky', 'Naughty Marietta', 'La Bamba', 'Tangerine Gem' and Starfire Mix' into trays.

ONIONS: In the third week we sow the variety 'Ailsa Craig'.

POTATOES: Plant potatoes. We like 'Swift' (Thompson & Morgan) and 'Foremost' (Thompson & Morgan), and four of each variety are going into a tub to put in the heated greenhouse. Hopefully these will follow on from the hot bed.

ROCKET: You can sow rocket (and sweet peas) into plastic guttering. Remember to drill drainage holes in the bottom and fill with a peat-free seed compost.

SWEET PEAS: Sow them now if you didn't get around to it last autumn. If you did, they should now be 2-4cm (1-2in) high. You can make your own sweet pea planters by rolling newspaper into tubes and using sticky tape, or buy tubes from a garden centre. Or, remember to keep your kitchen roll centres for next year. We sow a mix of varieties in these, including 'White Leamington', 'Noel Sutton,' 'Galaxy Mixed' and, of course, 'Geoff Hamilton'.

TENDER PERENNIALS: If you are overwintering, make sure dead or diseased leaves are removed. Plants such as fuchsias and pelargoniums will become tall if not checked. They can be repotted in fresh compost.

TOMATOES: In the third week, we prickk out several varieties: 'British Breakfast', 'Shirley', 'Ailsa Craig', 'Floridity', Fantasio,' 'Golden Sunrise', 'Alicante' and 'Moneymaker' into 7cm (3in) pots.


Kitchen garden and allotment:

APPLES: Finish pruning. We also use up any remaining apples and remove them from storage.

BRASSICAS: We remove any remaining brassicas and spinach at the end of the month and tidy all the beds and paths.

BROAD BEANS: We direct sow 'Exhibition' in the allotment at the end of the month, plant 'Express' in the parterre and plant out the variety 'Crimson Flowered' under cloches.

HOT BEDS: We will make a semi hot bed and top with 10cm (4in) of our own garden compost.

KALE: Tidy and generally weed around the plants.

RASPBERRIES: Cut down autumn-fruiting types to ground level.

SALADS: In the first week of February we plant out lettuce 'Fristina', as well as endive ('Moss Curled') and beetroot ('Boltardy') onto a semi-hot bed under a cold frame.

SAND: Spread sharp sand on some areas. It will help to improve the drainage.