From the Potting Shed, with Chris Milborne

From the potting shed...

Our monthly gardening newsletter, written by our Great Amwell plant department colleague, Chris Milborne.

February 2025.

February weather can be tricky for gardeners as it is very often damp, wet, grey and cold. Winter is not yet over and although the days are getting noticeably longer, spring remains a way off in the distance so it can be frustrating waiting to get out into the garden to plan and prepare for the seasons ahead. As always, the weather is the deciding factor on to how much gardening can actually be achieved.

It is an exciting time working in the Blue Diamond Garden Centres because there are so many new product ranges arriving daily with new themes, colours and ideas providing inspiration for your garden. The seed stands are packed to bursting including ranges of summer bulbs, seed potatoes, onion, garlic and shallot sets and so much more. Now is the perfect time to plan and prepare ahead for sowing and planting. Propagators, compost seed trays, pots and labels are also in stock and ready to start the new season.

Seeds and Cut Flowers

There is a huge range of flower seeds available including many annuals that are so easy to grow providing brilliant colourful flower displays throughout the summer. Consider allocating a small area of the garden to growing cut flowers for the home using plants such as Sunflowers in colours from creamy yellow to burnt orange.

Cosmos is available in a wide range of colours that flower throughout the summer and into autumn. Other examples of great cutting flowers include Larkspur and bedding Dahlias such as Bishop’s Children with its dark attractive foliage and flowers in many shades of reds, oranges and yellows.

Zinnias, Rudbeckias and Sweet Peas all provide beautiful flowers and come in so many different colour combinations – warm, rich reds, oranges, yellows and creamy pastel shades for example. You can grow them in mixed colour blocks or in rows of single colour. All these colours, whether pink, red, white, yellow or orange make for an eye-catching display of fantastic cut flowers for the home, straight from the garden to the vase!

Many of these plants are hardy annuals so they can be sown directly into the soil from March to May. By doing several sowings across this time you will increase flowering over a longer period.

As the weather improves, now is the time to prepare the soil. Fork, hoe and rake over for a fine tilth and add some compost and fertilizer. Then, when the time is right, carry out a final rake and create a shallow drill, sow thinly and lightly cover.

Half-hardy annuals, need a little more warmth for the seeds to germinate and so are best sown in a propagator or on a warm window sill. I start these off late February to March. As soon as the seeds have germinated and the seedlings are large enough to handle, hold by the leaves (not the stem), prick out into individual pots or modular trays, then grow them on in a frost-free greenhouse or cold frame. These are ready to plant out in early May and if space is limited, your own kitchen windowsill is just the right size for starting plants off.

Flowers for cutting are much in demand and some herbaceous perennials like Scabious are some of the best to give a continuous supply of cut flowers throughout the summer and early autumn.

Other examples for impressive cut flowers are Echinops or Globe Thistle - a rich blue, ball-like flower with deeply cut foliage or perennial Rudbeckias or Cornflower and not forgetting the dainty violet and amethyst-coloured flowers of Thralictrum.

As the season progresses, the range of smaller, 1 litre herbaceous plants increases with an excellent selection available. If the weather is cold and wet pot them on in a 3-litre pot and grow on in the protection of a cold frame or greenhouse.  This makes for a more substantial plant when planting out when soil conditions are more suitable.

There are many flowering shrubs that make good cut flowers including Forsythia, Lilac, Spirea Arguta (known as the bride wreath), Lavender and Choisya Ternata (the Mexican Orange Blossom).

Plant a Tree!

One thing we can all do to help wildlife and the environment is to plant a new twee for us and future generations to enjoy. There is a suitable tree for any size garden. When selecting a tree, look at the ultimate height and soil conditions requirements. Trees provide height and depth to your outdoor space and provide shelter and a home for birds and also insects, that many of which live in bark crevices or are useful pollinators. Trees also improve air quality, provide shade in summer and many will flower and produce fruit.

Beneath the trees you can plant bulbs, herbaceous perennials and annuals that enjoy the light shade and shelter that the tree provides. For small gardens consider ornamental flowering cherries grown on semi-dwarf root stocks that produce a smaller more compact tree making them more suitable for today's smaller gardens. The flowers range in colours from pure white to dark pink with single, semi-double or double flowers and are good for autumn colour and are easy to grow.  

For gardens with terraces, many types of patio fruit trees can be grown in containers.

Another good group for garden interest are Crab Apples with their wonderful spring flowers followed by bright coloured fruit that is good for making into jams and jellies or leave on the trees for winter-feeding birds to enjoy.

Sorbus (Rowan Trees Mountain Ash) grown for their spring blossom followed by colourful berries, interesting leaf shapes and glorious autumn leaf colours.

Crategus(Hawthorn) is a small thorny tree with spring blossom that is so important for bees and butterflies. The orange and red fruits are loved by birds and are followed by good autumn leaf colour.

Magnolia Stellata the green/grey, felt-like buds open into starry white flowers.

Japanese Acers cannot be beaten for foliage interest, colour and leaf shape especially for a sheltered, semi-shaded position.

Cornus Kousa is a small compact tree with white or pink flowers in summer and in autumn the leaves turn crimson-purple colour.

February Garden Highlights

Hammamelis, the witch hazel has scented spidery flowers in yellow and orange on bare, leafless branches. The yellow flowers tend to stand out better in grey, dull weather than the red flowers.

Corylus Avellana Contorta (the Corkscrew Hazel) which has fluffy yellow catkins. When pruning I use the curly stems as natural looking plant supports for perennials.

Garrya Elliptica ‘James Roof' a variety that produces catkins as long as 30cm (12ins) a large evergreen shrub that does best in a sheltered position protected from cold winds.

Other shrubs providing interest include Viburnum Farreri, Lonicera Fragrantissima, Daphnes, Mahonias, Skimmias and Sarcococcas.

Other hardy plants for gardens in February include Snowdrops, Aconita, Crocus, Hellebores, Cyclamen Coum, Violas, Pansies and early daffodils. A good tip with Hellebores is to cut off the old foliage as this allows the flowers to be seen better and also helps to prevent the spread of Hellebore leaf spot disease.

Perhaps the first sight of spring is Primula Vulgaris the wild primroses coming in to flower on sheltered banks and at the base of hedges. They make a glorious sight when naturalized in the garden.

Getting Ready for Spring

• If you want to get ahead, prepare the ground for new roses, trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials. You can improve the soil by digging in some organic compost and if the soil is mostly clay, add some course horticultural grit to improve drainage.
• Mulch around your existing plants - this simply means covering the soil with a deep layer of organic matter that will improve the soil, suppress weed growth and help conserve moisture in the soil during the summer months. When applying, leave a gap around the trunks and stems to help prevent any stem rot.
• If you’re planning on growing some vegetable this year you can prepare the area where they are to be grown for early crops by covering the soil with some horticultural fleece or cloches as this warms the soil for earlier vegetable sowing.
• At the end of February feed trees, shrubs and perennials with Fish, Blood and Bone which is a good balanced fertilizer good for roots, leaves, fruits and flowers.
• Give roses a boost with a general rose feed for strong growth and flowers.
• Cut back and tidy grasses although with evergreen grasses don't cut back just remove any dead material. Don't move or divide grasses at this time of the year as this is best carried out later when plants are actively growing.
• Any overgrown shrubs, perhaps old or growing poorly can be removed, dig the soil over and add some soil improver and plant up with some fresh shrubs for more interest. Test the soil for PH and nutrient levels - this helps when selecting suitable plants for the garden. Also look at neighbouring gardens to see which group of plants grow well.
• Divide clumps of herbaceous perennials that have become too large, flower poorly or has poor growth, due to perhaps, being in the same position for many years. As plants age, they grow outwards from the centre. When dividing use outer portions of the plant, this really invigorates the plant, boosts display and can be planted in other suitable parts of the garden and increases stock for free.
• Once snowdrops have finished flowering the clumps can be lifted, divided and replanted.  These establish well, rather than planting dry bulbs in August and September.
• Trim deciduous hedges before birds start nesting.
• To keep lawn edges neat and tidy install lawn edging.
• Top dress spring flowering Alpines with grit or gravel as this helps to prevent stem and leaf rot and also shows off the flowers not splashed by soil and looks more natural.
• Prune winter flowering shrubs that have finished flowering
• Remove any reverted green shoots on variegated evergreens, these shoots are stronger that variegated leaved stems and can eventually take over. Euonymus and Eleagnus are particularly affected.
• After flowering, cut out the top rosettes of leaves on leggy stems of Mahonias to create compact bushy shape.
• Prune Clementis (group 3) late flowering such as Viticella types can be pruned hand with shoots produced from the base and produce flowers late summer.
• Lily bulbs can be planted into pots and add some horticultural grit to the compost to improve drainage. Grow them on in a cool greenhouse and move onto the patio when in flower.

There are a wide range of Dahlia tubers available that produce a wonderful array of different flower shapes and colours. Dahlia tubers can be started into growth providing cuttings to produce more plants for free or pot tubers up into individual pots and grow them on in a frost-free greenhouse. Keep compost damp until shoots appear, then increase watering. The plants can be hardened off and planted about the 2nd week of May. By growing in pots, tubers don't rot as they would if planted out in too wet soil conditions as happened last year. Good strong plants are also less prone to slug and snail damage.

If your tubs and containers lack colour, Polyanthus Primulas are available in many colours. By adding a few to your containers you will create instant impact and pots of potted bulbs can be dropped into the gaps for further colour and interest.

Plants for further spring colour include Rhodendrons Azaleas, Camellias and Pieris. These evergreen shrubs have very architectural leaves and fattening flower buds that are just waiting to burst open in the warmth of the Spring sunshine. Some Pieris have variegated foliage and the new leaves open in salmon-pink colours.

As February progresses, many more new shoots appear through the soil providing a heartening sight at the end of winter.

Grow Your Own

By growing your own fruit and vegetable, you will be rewarded with tasty and inexpensive produce and there has been a huge resurgence of interest in this area of gardening over the last few years. The seed stands at your local Blue Diamond Garden Centre are packed to bursting with all the seeds ready to sow and grow.

There are many different types of seed potatoes available at the moment. They are not planted out until late March or April so to start them off at this time of the year in a process known as ‘chitting’ which means encouraging them to sprout prior to planting resulting in an earlier harvest.  This is particularly important for earlies and 2nd earlies crops.  

In a clean seed tray lined with paper or in an old egg box, place the seed potato on end with the blunt end facing upwards the stand the box in a warm, dry, bright position such as a frost-free greenhouse or windowsill. In 5 to 6 weeks, they will develop strong shoots around 2.5cm long (1inch) ready for planting out. With main crop potatoes, an early crop not required so plant dormant seed potatoes.

For extra early potatoes grow some on in a greenhouse and use 2 seed potatoes in a 30cm pot or container.

Plant your garlic cloves, onions and shallots sets in modular trays and then plant them out when they are actively growing, and when the soil has warmed up a little. Sow some Peas and Broad Beans seeds into small individual pots.

Continue planting soft fruit bushes such as Blackcurrants, Gooseberries, Blackberries and Raspberries etc. With Raspberries I prefer autumn fruiting varieties as they provide fruit when others types finish and they are also easy to prune - just cut back hard in February.

Houseplants

Will longer day light hours, houseplants start to regrow - keep an eye on watering and start feeding if not done previously. With Citrus plants, top dress and repot if too pot bond.

Group houseplants together to create an interesting display. There are several architectural plants or specimen plants that look best on their own that act as a focal point or perhaps in a group or even to divide part of a room.  Some of the easiest for this purpose are Palms, Ficus Lyrata with large paddle shaped leaves, Ficus Benjamina, Ficus Elastica (The Rubber Plant) Philodendrons and Scindapsus and for bright sunny rooms Yuccas and Dracaenas.

Next month - March when the gardening season really starts and during the first week I will be sowing tomatoes and peppers in the propagator plus all the other half hardy plants.

Much to look forward too!