Unseasonably warm, isn’t it?
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but there are rumours that it might be a decent old year. So whilst the sun is shining on these rare February afternoons, now is a great time to start prepping your garden for spring.
Clear and Clean
This bit isn’t fun, but it’s necessary. Winter’s had its way with your garden and you need to give it some TLC. Get rid of the leaves and debris from your lawns and beds, and don’t forget to trim dead growth from the grasses and perennials. If it’s warm when you start, try to dig a shallow organic layer of mulch or compost to freshen the nutrients for April.
If you’ve got a greenhouse, make sure you scrub and scratch the windows to ensure maximum sunlight. Get rid of the debris and start disinfecting the pests and disease, especially on the inside of the glass, in the corners and in the gutters. Ventilate properly, so that it dries and fumes disperse.
Pests-be-gone
They’re not expecting it in February. Many will be hibernating, but if you can hunt them down you’ll save yourself a lot of time in the warmer months. Check your perennials for sleepy snails, slugs and aphids. Last year’s summer bedding will likely be hiding larvae, which often feed on roots and can run riot when the sun starts staying out late.
Get some water butts installed. Plants, generally, prefer the slight acidity of rainwater as opposed to the slight alkalinity in tap water.
Cleaning and fixing
After a long and lonely winter, caked in the soil of last year’s tasks, your tools are in need of some attention. Scrape and sharpen them, to keep them fighting fit for spring. Good tools should last forever if they’re looked after, so it’s worth investing an hour annually to keep them going. Clean, disinfect, rinsed and dry. This gets rid of bacteria, which can be harmful when you’re cutting flowers and plants and allowing the microbes in.
Sort out your fences, gates and trellises. Repairing and replacing should be taken care of now, so that you can spend your time in the soil when the sun comes out. Nothing’s worse than having to deal with a broken trellis before you can get started on your climbers. Wooden structures need treating now, providing you can chance a few days of sunshine to dry.,.
Eden Restored is a team of passionate garden designers working throughout London, Kent and Surrey.
We deliver value-for-money on projects of any size, from inner-city courtyards to countryside cottages.
To discuss your ideas and how we can help throughout the entire process, get in touch.