While some of the coldest weather of the year can occur in February, the second month can also feel like something of a turning point. It’s still chilly, yet more signs of the imminent spring can be spotted daily. Here are some key tasks for the flower garden this month.
Snowdrops
Now is the time to lift and divide any snowdrops, if you want to relocate them or create new plants. Other bulbs that require planting when “in the green” can also be put into place.
Heather
As the flowers die, trim back any winter flowering heather plants to prevent the stems from growing too long.
Clematis
The best time to prune back summer flowering clematis is during the latter part of the month.
Fuchsia
Fuchsia plants that have flowered during the winter season can now be pruned back, leaving in place a single or couple of buds on each shoot.
Pansies
Any wilting flowers can be removed. This will prevent them from setting seed, and will also encourage new blooms to grow once the temperature starts to rise.
Wisteria
Like fuchsia, wisteria can also be trimmed back, ideally leaving two to three buds per side shoot.
Jasmine
Winter flowering jasmine can be cut back once the blooms have died, leaving around 5cm of last year’s growth in place. This encourages new blooms to grow for the coming year.
Shrubs
Any shrubs that have finished their winter flowering can now be pruned. Shrubs that feature colourful winter stems can be cut back to the base.
