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Plympton Community Magazine, February 2022
28th January 2022
Get a head start and begin pruning your garden ready for spring and summer.
During the warmer months, we spend a lot more time in the garden rather than indoors therefore it’s important to keep it looking nice so that when the sun does decide to come out, your garden will be ready for you. I have compiled the best tips and tricks for gardening in February as well as ways to make your garden feel like a mini oasis and a place where you’ll want to spend time in.
Planting
Gardening in February tends to happen towards the end of the month once most of the frosty weather has passed. Gardening is seasonal therefore if we do end up getting the Beast from the East again, then we will have to put the gardening tools down for a little while longer but being in an area that doesn’t get much snow… if any, means that we can get ahead and begin sowing seeds in February.
Sowing seeds early on in the year means you will have longer to enjoy them throughout the warmer months. Start sowing seeds of hardy annuals such as cosmos and greenhouse crops such as tomatoes. You can also sow seeds of cool-season plants like kale, broad beans, lettuce and sweet peas if you don’t own a heated propagator and grow lamp. Make sure you keep your seeds in pots placed on a warm, sunny window sill.
Preparing your potatoes ready to be planted can be done in February. The process of encouraging seed potatoes into growth before planting is known as ‘chitting’. You can still plant seed potatoes if they haven’t been chitted but it will give them a head start, you can purchase seed potatoes from Endsleigh Garden Centre and Otter Nurseries.
Although February is early on in the year to be gardening, it’s actually a fairly busy month for pruning. You can start pruning Clematis, Wisteria, Winter Jasmine, Hydrangea, Buddleia, Cornus, Mahonia, Evergreen shrubs, Climbing and Bush roses. Spring flowering shrubs can be pruned after flowering, usually in early summer so don’t prune these in February or you will cut off the new buds.
Lilies, Anemone, Crocosmia and other late-spring flowering bulbs can be planted during February/March which will bring a wider array of colours when spring comes along.
Landscaping
Creating an oasis in your garden can be difficult and expensive to achieve but you can begin by thinking about what you use your garden for the most. Do you have a busy family and host lots of BBQs and mini football games? Do you prefer using the garden to plant and grow your own vegetables and enjoy a cup of tea? Or do you use your garden as an escape from day-to-day life with calming features and places to relax and unwind? Whatever it is, it’s time to make some changes to ensure you are making the most of your outdoor space.
If hosting dinner parties and BBQ’s is your forte, then your priority might be the dining section of your garden. Ensure that the table is big enough for your guests with the added option of some shade during the summer months. This can be done with garden parasols or a natural pergola.
Greenscheme Solutions
The green-fingered individuals may want to focus more on a space to grow vegetables and sow seeds therefore, a large grass area may not be required if you are short of space. You can also purchase mini pop-up greenhouses if your garden is too small for a greenhouse. These work just as well as a standard greenhouse and offer shelving options and different sizes and heights to fit your space.
The tranquil garden can be achieved by planting easy-to-care plants and flowers and focusing on spaces that are comfortable to relax in. This may mean investing a little bit of money on a comfortable outdoor sofa, chair or even a hammock! There is nothing more relaxing than the sound of water trickling away therefore if you aren’t lucky enough to have a babbling brook at the bottom of your garden (I wish!) then a water feature could be the perfect addition to your private oasis.
To help you create the garden of your dreams, Man For All Seasons covers all types of garden services and maintenance from garden design and landscaping to pruning and planting. With a large team of gardeners, designers and builders, your garden will be in very capable hands! Please find more information and how to contact them on the next page.
Low Maintenance Alternatives
If gardening isn’t your thing at all, using a patio to break up the grass will keep your garden easy to look after. Artificial grass can look very realistic if executed well so if you are just wanting a space to soak up the summer sun, then artificial grass maybe something to think about. Knight Fencing offer a wide range of artificial grass as well as timber decking boards to create an effortlessly manicured garden.
Fencing
The border around your garden is just as important as the garden itself because it may become a bit of an eyesore if it’s old and tired. Knight Fencing offer heavy-duty fencing that lasts with a 10-year anti-rot guarantee. With a variety of different wooden fences with beautiful trellis tops or straight panels, Knight Fencing can give you the best backdrop to your garden. They also offer gazebos, garden swings, benches and arbours which could be perfect accompaniments to offer spaces to relax in your garden.
Knight Fencing
Bringing The Outside In
This past year we have seen more people purchasing houseplants and opting for large, open plan living with bi-folding doors in a bid to get closer to nature and the outdoors. The garden doesn’t have to stop at the boundaries of the brick walls of your home.
Conservatories are perfect additions to the home which can increase the value of your property as well as giving you a room that feels like your outdoors but in the warmth of the four walls. Bi-folding doors have grown massively in popularity over recent years as it gives you the option to completely lose the fourth wall leading to the garden and offer an
alfresco feel.
Increase Property Value
Over the past couple of years, we have really learnt to value our gardens. When it comes to selling your home, buyers often take the garden into account. ‘A beautifully executed garden adds immediate appeal and desirability’
says Cheryl Cummings.
