Time to get sowing!
JOBS IN THE GARDEN
February into March can often bring some very cold weather but the good news is spring is getting closer.
More than any other month what you can do in the garden depends on the weather.
It’s a time when you can be frozen solid or you might have some sunny days to get started.
If the weather is good you can do some early sowing outdoors but for a while it might be better done under cloche unless it is particularly mild.
Broad beans and early peas to be ready for harvest in May and June can go in, as can Jerusalem artichokes.
If the weather allows it then you can get things under way with very early sowing
Shallots - one of the earliest to plant outdoors
early, as soon as they come into the garden centre, and to keep them properly cool yourself at home.
Rhubarb, horseradish, asparagus and artichokes are among the perennial vegetables that can be planted this month. Plant them along the perimeters of the vegetable garden so they are not in the way as you till or spade each season.
Broad beans ready for harvest in May and June can go in now
Start onions from seed in flats late in February and set them in a sunny indoor spot. Keep tops trimmed to about four inches until March or April, then set them in your garden.
Shallots should if possible go out early but they really do benefit from protection - fleece or cloth – until they get going.
February is the time to prune your fruit trees. Prune fruit trees like apples, pears and cherries, and peach and nectarines prior to bloom time, and grapes, raspberries, and blackberries. Make sure your pruning tools are sharp before you begin pruning. There is no need to use any pruning paint or sealer on the pruning cuts. Remove all dead or diseased wood, before you make any major cuts.
Sow early salad crops (lettuce, radish) under glass or in a frame or cloche during mild spells.
Buy seed potatoes, especially early varieties, and spread them out end-up in a box to sprout in a light but cool windowsill or shed. In shops and garden centres, seed potatoes tend to get too warm, sprouting too early and too soft. If you buy late, there can already be a tangle of white shoots locking the tubers together. It is better to buy the variety you want
Roses
Plant a rose for summer colour. There’s still time for new plants to get established and add a lot to the summer garden.
Country Gardener 53 March in the flower bed
Hardy perennials should be planted in early March. Remember to consider size, position (shade or sun) and colour before planting - larger plants should be placed at the back. Always plant in groups of odd-numbers (three , five etc) it looks better that way. The following are some of the best:
Delphiniums, phlox, campanula, lupins and Michaelmas daisies (asters) tend to come in blue, purple and mauve.
Coreopsis, heliopsis and rudbeckia tend to be yellow, gold and orange.
Pinks, border carnations, anemones are mainly pink. Gladioli
Plant gladioli corns in succession from mid -March until mid-August - you will then be assured of a longer flowering period. The plants like a sunny position, and should be planted 4 inches deep and 9 inches apart. Again plant in groups of five or more. The soil should be well drained and well fertilised.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56