Welcome to my first list of garden jobs in February. It barely seems a week since I was last posting a list and it is hard to believe that January has already disappeared. The days are feeling longer and the birds are starting to sing again (at least when the rain stops!).
Before I start I must show you my Lily of the Valley pips that I brought inside from my cold frame. Regular readers will remember that back in January I wrote about a tip I read at Of Spring And Summer (a regular blogging read of mine) about forcing Lily of the Valley inside. I immediately brought 3 very unpromising pots of Lily of the Valley inside and have left them on my kitchen window sill. A small shoot appeared within days, but the pips have not grown since then. That is until earlier this week when they started shooting up. This one actually has a flower bud – I am amazed! I need to make sure I buy some more pips so that I can repeat this again next winter.
Lily of the Valley are one of my favourite spring flowers and I am sad that I am struggling to get it to naturalise in this garden. Every spring I plant a few generous clumps from pips that I buy ‘in the green’ in the hope that they will be happy. I am keeping my fingers crossed that last years spring plantings will be more successful than previous years, but I will have to wait a bit longer before I will know.
I am very happy that spring has arrived in the greenhouse this week. The heady scent of narcissi Paperwhite greets me as I open the door and the lovely narcissi flowers have been joined by pots of Iris reticulata. I asked for help in identifying the variety earlier this week and am happy to say that Chloris, author of The Blooming Garden, has recognised it as being Halkis. In previous years I have grown Iris reticulata Harmony and I was confused by its more delicate appearance. Also shooting up are tulip Calgary, a white tulip for forcing that I bought from Sarah Raven, hyacinths and yet more Paperwhites.
Outside the hellebores and snowdrops are getting into their stride and I am hoping to have photos for you next week. Other bulbs are shooting up and I even have a patch of muscari complementing the hellebore below.
Despite the spring-like look of these photos winter still has its hold on the garden. Any plans for major work outside have had to be put on hold as the whole garden is waterlogged after hours of rain each day. I have done very little work outside since last week and I do not expect this to change for the next few days at least.
So concentrating on indoor jobs for now my plans for the coming week are to:
- Continue sowing seeds of hardy annuals for the Cutting Garden. This week I sowed another batch of sweet peas, but I need to get on with the rest of my list.
- Sow salad leaves and hearting lettuces in plugs in the greenhouse. Last week I sowed broad bean Aquadulce Claudia, pea Douce Provence, leek Prizetaker and spinach Triathlon ( all suitable for early sowing).
- Plan my order of bare root roses from David Austin before they have all sold out.
- Set out my seed potatoes to chit – I place them in egg boxes on the laundry room worktop. I have tried chitting in the greenhouse, but lost a lot to frost so keep them indoors now. Hopefully the ground will be dry enough to plant them out in late March.
- If the ground dries out continue to prune my climbing roses.
Last week I mentioned my February project of preparing ground in the woodland walk for planting more winter flowering shrubs, hellebores and bulbs. I have discovered this week when working in that area that the weed problem is far worse than I was expecting. The ground is full of couch grass as well as nettles with huge root systems and docks with foot long tap roots. I am trying not to be too discouraged, but I may have to concentrate on keeping this area clear of weeds throughout the summer and delay planting out my pots of shrubs until next autumn.
I will be back on Sunday with ‘Flowers On Sunday’, which may well have a valentine theme this week! I am keeping my fingers crossed for some suitable blooms at the market tomorrow and on Monday I will be here with something from my garden for ‘In A Vase On Monday’. I look forward to having an excuse for some flower arranging and photography on Sunday and Monday all week!
I hope you have a lovely weekend.
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Beautiful photos of bulbs, your greenhouse must be a fantastic place to be at the moment, the perfume must be amazing!
I haven’t yet been able to grow lily-of-the-valley either, despite everyone else saying it romps away! Interesting to read your list, Julie – I am on top of my February sowings and as always I am surprised at how quickly things germinate so I am checking daily and moving them to the greenhouse as soon as they emerge. I am glad Chloris was able to help you with your irises! Oh and do persist with your winter flowering area – it may be hard work clearing the weeds but it will be worth it.
I shouldn’t say this Cathy but I am glad you have this problem!! As you say it is meant to be a weed when it gets going – it is good to know someone else is struggling with it. It is also good to hear you are on top of your sowings – I usually find everything goes well until I start to run out of greenhouse space – then I start to juggle things & before I know it vital sowings have been missed – last year it was sunflowers & leeks & I really did miss them. Don’t worry about my weeding though – I have my determined hat on, so I will keep plugging (weeding) away!
Oh, so lovely your pictures of spring…(long sigh), we still are under snow + I have been sowing all my spring flowers, veggies + herbs. I have spring bulbs I put in last fall that I am eager to see how they will do, as well as some old plant friends that greet me every spring:-) I just love pictures of your green house, I have a south facing sunroom that I start a lot of plants in ,and I have lights I start many of my seedlings under for our garden.
My mother gave me a clump of lily of valley a few years ago and they do well in our climate filling in , and there is NOTHING like their fragrance. I have a clump under all the windows that are open in spring;-)
I would love to be in your house in spring – that sounds divine! Maybe this year I should try Lily of the Valley in window boxes. I am looking forward to seeing your spring bulbs – it won’t be long now and you will probably have a much better summer than we get in the UK. Thank you for commenting.
I do find it interesting to read about gardens all over the world. One of my daugthers attended college in Germany + now lives in Bristol England. I was talking to them on skype today and she said they have have not had to pull out a winter coat this winter! WOW:-)
I love spring blooms, but ours don’t come out towards the end of March + early April. I can hardly wait!!
That would be wonderful to have lily of valley in a window box! I love their fragrance + filling a room with that smell-oh my!:-)
Thank you for the mention, Julie. I have never grown Lily of the valley pips in pots and I think it is a great idea. In the garden it romps away in some areas and refuses to budge in others.
I hope you manage to get your woodland walk cleared so that you can get it planted for winter interest. Winter flowering plants give you so much pleasure.
I can’t imagine when the ground is ever going to dry out enough to do anything.
I love your blog and I am following it now, I want to see what you are going to be doing next.
You are welcome Chloris! I tried to get on with weeding today, but the wind was so strong I got a bit nervous working under the trees. Surely things will improve soon. I am really pleased that you are following & look forward to keeping up with your blog as well.