Thyme To Garden - February 2018

[AB Editor]

Hi all! Welcome to the new gardening sticky for February. Chilly one here today - I certainly won't be venturing outside much. What are you looking forward to doing in your garden this spring?

Here is January's thread: https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Home-and-Garden/Question1587474.html

[woofgang]

Good morning! Isn't it amazing what a little sun will do? My blossom trees are all starting to look bumpy and interesting along the twigs and the crocuses have appeared over night. It looks like its going to be a special year for the camellias too, many many fat buds and the odd one showing colour.

[anthro-nerd]

My garden is a mess. We had a fence post changed and so it's a muddy mess with dead plants from last summer. I really need to give it a bit of TLC!!

[maggiebee]

Had a fall of snow overnight so certainly won't be venturing into the garden today. Lots of TLC needed when the weather allows as it's been rather neglected of late. Nice to see the bulbs coming to life in the pots.

[Chipchopper]

I find, my garden pretty much takes care of its self at this time of the year. I look at it as a rest period and just do a little tidying til the spring arrives.
Meantime I indulge myself in admiring lovely drifts of snowdrops, whilst chopping and storing firewood ready for next winter

[tiggerblue10]

My garden was somewhat of a jungle up till last summer. Its now nice and tidy with artificial grass and paving. Just have to watch out for the fox poo!

Would've loved to do gardening if it wasn't for worms and slugs etc., which I have a severe phobia of.

[Togo]

Not much to do just yet, plus it is snowing heavily here at the mo. But I have purchased my "first early" seed potatoes. I have gone for Premiere and Rocket varieties this year and will am chitting them off in egg boxes ready to plant up in bags. I have got to prune the Blackcurrant bushes within the next week or so and need to re-do the wire supports if I want to avoid the very low hanging of the fruit that happened last year. The Hydrangeas will also be pruned during the last week or so of February and I give them a treatment of Aluminium Sulphate crystals to ensure that the blooms are a deep and blueish/ purple hue. This weekend has been earmarked for a trip to the garden centre to start getting compost home and to bring in some potting compost. We are going to get some sweet peas potted up early this year and will be picking up the long stemmed and heavily scented varieties. The spare bedroom becomes a nursery for about 5 weeks. I have also checked that the wooden cloche is all intact and that I have the screws and fixings to hand. This will be assembled and put out early next month to bring on the Begonia corms and Dahlia tubers that we wrapped up and stowed away. Won't be long now before we get weaving.

[woofgang]

We are back to bog again here but bulbs showing in all directions. Just done my potting compost audit ready to make an order, my local garden centre deliver and will put the sacks where I want them which is a huge advantage.
The Mimosa trees have finally decided to burst into bloom, they are great value at this miserable time of year as the first flowers were showing before Christmas and it probably won't drop its last scented yellow pom pom until march. Most of my other spring shrubs got a hard cut down last year so I am not expecting much but the exochorda is full of buds and the fruit trees look promising, also still got winter pansies going strong....just need the ground to dry up a bit.

[rowanwitch]

My little balcony is still producing winter salad leaves. I will spend some of the snowy spell ordering stuff for the summer after a lot of success with cucumbers last year I am going to try some mini melons , as well as the usual tomatoes, lettuce, courgette, radishes,rocket, Chinese leaves,carrots and beans. The garlic cloves are already in one pot as are the broad beans This year I am also planning chilli and bell peppers and a couple of spud sacks one with reds and one with salad potatoes. I also have a continuous supply of shoots on my window sills inc. mustard, cress, radish, broccoli and red lentils. I seem to be quite lucky with what I can grow here.