Gardening by Month - February

Dodge the showers in February and venture into the garden to prepare for spring. If the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged, you can establish new shrubs before the dryer weather.

Shrubs that look good this month include camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas, which all provide early colour in the garden. They like acid soil – if you don’t know your garden’s soil type, buy an easy to use pH test to measure soil acidity or alkalinity. If rhododendrons grow wild close to your garden, it’s likely you have the right soil type. If not, camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas can be planted in ericaceous compost.

Now is a good time to plant rose shrubs so they can become established for the summer. They often flower right through to the first frosts, so you can appreciate their blooms for several months every year.

Here are our tips for planting your shrub:

• Before planting, give it a long soak.
• Check the size guide on the care instructions and make sure the space you’ve chosen is suitable for its eventual spread in height and width.
• Follow the planting instructions. Dig a hole slightly deeper and wider than the root ball.
• Break up the soil so the roots can penetrate.
• Add a layer of fertiliser and some water. For ericaceous plants, add a thick base of ericaceous compost.
• If the plant has visible roots, gently separate them, then place in the ground.
• Fill in around the shrub with compost, firming it down.
• Water well and add a generous layer of mulch.

Some of your plants will be looking the worse for wear, so remove dead leaves with sharp secateurs and clear away fallen branches from your borders. Clear weeds and grass from around your plants to allow them more rainwater. A tidy up will make everything look better and it will be in great shape for spring growth.

Remember to keep feeding garden birds and leave out an unfrozen water source.

Until next month happy gardening!