Maggie Baldwin shares her February garden notes, with practical advice on winter pruning, brightening up garden displays, and preparing for early spring.
What a start we’ve had to the year weather-wise, with snow and heavy rain last month and frosty ground – let’s hope for more settled weather for February! It’s so lovely to see snowdrops flowering in the garden and on the river banks in Thetford, a real harbinger of spring.
Although the evenings are starting to draw out a little, we still need brightness in the garden to cheer us on a dull day. Refreshing winter pot displays with primulas and small pots of flowering bulbs is an ideal way to do this. There is quite a selection in the garden centres and Thetford Market, with scope for lots of colour combinations.
Clematis that flower in the late summer (Group 3 viticella type) can be pruned now. Cut down to the lowest pair of buds and the plant will then produce lots of new, vigorous stems which flower better. If left unpruned, the plant can become a woody tangle and any flowers produced are much higher up.
Any perennials left in the garden over winter are usually looking a bit sorry for themselves by now, and the birds will have had the benefit of any seeds. Cut them down to the base just above any new shoots and your herbaceous bed will look better for a tidy-up.
If you haven’t already pruned your apples and pears, it’s not too late. Weak branches can be pruned hard to make them more vigorous, producing more blossom and fruit and being strong enough to support the fruit. Prune out any crossing branches and dead or diseased wood. Stand back as you prune so you can assess the shape of the tree and avoid over-pruning.
There’s a good selection of seed potatoes in the garden centres now, and early varieties can be chitted in a light, frost-free place, which will help them grow away quickly once planted.
Keep warm and happy gardening!
Maggie Baldwin
Don’t forget the Thetford Garden and Allotment Club Beetle Drive, to be held on Tuesday 24th February at the Methodist Church in Tanner Street, starting at 6.30pm. The entry fee is £3.00, which includes tea and cakes. All welcome, and it’s great fun!
For more information, or information about Thetford Garden and Allotment Club, please contact Yvonne at yvonnerout@gmail.com or call 07867 974544.
