As February progresses, days lengthen, signaling the home stretch to spring. Seasoned gardeners seize this time to start sowing, planting, and transplanting, easing into the new season.
On frost-free days, dive into preparatory work—weeding, cleaning, and cuttings—to ready your garden for warmer weather ahead.
In milder climates, sow beans from late February, sheltering them under frames in deep pots for an early April harvest. Patience pays off. Plant asparagus in sandy soil, plus pink garlic and shallots, which favor drier conditions. Insert bulbs finger-deep, spacing 15 cm apart.
For fruits, treat peaches, apricots, and nectarines against leaf curl. Prune apple and pear trees, then lightly hoe around the base to aerate the soil.
Continue planting perennials and tidy up: remove blackened leaves from hellebores, bergenias, and brunneras. Trim grasses with hand shears. Sow cobaea—these charming climbers—in warm terrines; transplant at April's end. Clean sowing gear like pots and trays.
Avoid disturbing in-place bulbs or emerging flowers. Divide overgrown perennials with a spade fork.
Ideal season for bare-root roses, if frost holds off. Prune summer-flowering shrubs like tamarisk and buddleia. Cut withered hydrangea ends and old stems; trim tamarisk and similar small spring trees. For roses, keep a few strong branches with 3-4 buds each, clearing dead wood.
Winter compacts your heap—dry debris atop, autumn matter below. Revive it: remove dry top (twigs, leaves). Scoop decomposed material for perennial beds via wheelbarrow. Crush twigs, rebuild in layers, water (add activator if needed), and ferment. Stir after 3 weeks.
