Raphael Sternberg- British Stiff Upper Lip & Gardening in the UK.
“It might be cold, but this is the perfect time to get into your garden and start preparing for a bountiful summer. Here’s a month-by month primer of key jobs”
A recent article in the UK Guardian divides your gardening tasks into months.
Raphael Sternberg took the liberty of skipping to February for a peak preview!
February
Falling on 1–2 February, the ancient Celtic celebration of Imbolc is a fire festival, associated with seeds and new life. The ancients felt an urge to get sowing, but resist — for now. Sowing too early leads to rotten seeds and disappointment; only aubergines and chillies will appreciate such an early start. Don’t let the odd mild day and spring-like feeling tempt you.
Key job
Preparation. Use this month to get yourself ready for sowing time. Wash old seed trays or buy new, and buy compost. Make neat piles and be ready to leap into action. Weed veg beds and cover with black or clear polythene to help the sun warm the soil.
In the kitchen and flower gardens
Sow chilli and aubergine seeds indoors, ideally in a heated propagator. Sow broad beans and hardy peas in pots in a sheltered spot outside or in a greenhouse. Lift, split and transplant large clumps of woodland bulbs such as snowdrops, bluebells and winter aconites, to propagate them. Order dahlia tubers. Plant lilies in pots.
Don’t forget …
Buy British-grown flowers for Valentine’s Day to support local businesses and reduce the number of flowers being flown in from around the world. Try Cornish Blooms and the Real Flower Company.
