February

Although February can be cold and frosty the days are longer and the garden is starting to show signs of spring with more plants showing growth as well as weed seedlings starting to appear. There is still time to sow sweet peas and other hardy annuals in a cold frame or greenhouse, later in the month plant lilies in pots for summer colour and if the weather is mild divide and replant perennials.

Continuing on the pruning theme from January then pruning is a priority for roses, cornus (dogwoods), buddleja, wisteria and group 3 Clematis. Group 3 Clematis are those that flower later in the summer, after June, on new growth. Examples are the large flowering hybrids such as C. ‘Nelly Moser’ as well as the Viticella Group. These need to be pruned hard, down to low new buds around 15-25 cm (6-10”) above ground level. It is useful when planting any clematis to label it with the pruning group or keep some kind of record to at least give yourself a chance of getting the pruning right even if you don’t get round to actually doing it.

Given the early season many snowdrops are well into flower. Snowdrops look particularly good around the base of winter flowering shrubs, under fruit trees as well as naturalised in grass where large drifts are most effective. They like part shade and moist soil.

There are many different types of snowdrops, some of them are much larger than the normally grown Galanthus nivalis. Galanthus elwesii is available mail order, has a sweet scent and is reasonably priced for one of the larger species. Order now to plant in the green, while still in leaf, during March/April. The reason is that snowdrops, along with some other bulbs, hate drying out so are more successful if planted this way. This is also the time to divide and replant congested clumps of snowdrops, after flowering but while the leaves are still obvious.

Good places to see snowdrops en masse include:

The Rococo Garden near Painswick, open daily

The Galanthus Gallery on the A465 SW of Hereford

For the dedicated snowdrop enthusiast or galanthophile then Colesbourne Manor, south of Cheltenham, has a large collection, around 200 different types of both species and cultivars and is open, on afternoons only, every weekend in February.

CAF