February Newsletter

What to Do in the Garden in the February

1. Prepare for Spring

• Start sowing indoors: Chillies, aubergines, sweet peppers, tomatoes (late Feb), and half‑hardy annuals.

• Clean and organise: Wash seed trays and pots; tidy the greenhouse; check tools are sharp and oiled.

• Plan borders and veg beds: Sketch out planting plans and order any seeds still needed.

2. General Garden Care

• Weed while it’s easy: Winter moisture loosens roots – ideal for tackling perennial weeds.

• Mulch beds: Apply compost or well‑rotted manure around trees, shrubs, and perennials (avoid touching stems).  You can also use old woodchip for this job as well.

• Repair lawns: On drier days, rake debris and fix worn patches; avoid walking on waterlogged areas.

3. Pruning & Cutting Back

It’s time for the 3 Ds – dead, damaged and diseased to be banished from your garden.   Start by removing dead, damaged and diseased branches, followed by weak or lax growth. Remove branches rubbing together, as this could create an entry point for disease.

• Prune roses: Cut back to outward‑facing buds.

• Prune wisteria: Reduce summer side‑shoots to 2–3 buds.

• Prune apple & pear trees: Best done while still dormant.

• Cut back deciduous grasses: Before new growth begins.

• Trim winter‑flowering shrubs: Such as mahonia once they finish blooming.

4. Wildlife & Eco Jobs

• Feed birds: Fat balls, suet, and seed mixes are vital now.

• Check for hibernating creatures: Be gentle when clearing leaves, especially around log piles.

• Clean bird boxes: Ready for nesting season.

5. Planting

• Plant bare‑root shrubs, roses, hedging, and trees: As long as the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged.

• Plant summer‑flowering bulbs: Lilies, gladioli (later in spring for succession), and begonias indoors.

• Force early rhubarb with a forcer or up‑turned bucket.

6. Vegetable Patch

• Sow broad beans outdoors: If soil isn’t too wet; otherwise use modules.

• Plant shallots and onion sets: In mild regions or start under cover.

• Chit potatoes: Place seed potatoes eye‑up in trays in a cool, light room.

7. Greenhouse & Indoor Tasks

• Ventilate on mild days to prevent mould.

• Check overwintering plants for rot or pests.

• Start dahlias in pots indoors toward month end.

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Waterlogged Lawns

One of the most common questions we are being asked at the moment is what to do with a waterlogged lawn?  It is becoming a more common problem in our ever-wetter winters and early springs, especially on clay soils or areas with poor drainage. Here are a few ideas to help alleviate the problems:

1. Avoid Walking on It

Walking on saturated grass compacts the soil further and slows recovery. If you must walk on it, lay boards down temporarily.

2. Improve Drainage (Short-Term)

• Spike aeration: Use a garden fork or aerator to create deep holes 10–15 cm apart. This allows water to drain more quickly.

• Brush sharp sand into the holes: Helps keep the channels open. Avoid builders’ sand (too fine).

• Clear thatch and moss: Once drier, scarify to reduce the layer that traps water.

3. Improve Drainage (Long-Term)

If your lawn floods regularly:

• Topdress annually with a sandy loam mix to open up heavy soils.

• Install French drains or soakaways near problem areas.

• Create shallow channels (called grips) directing water away from low spots.• Consider raising the lawn level in persistently soggy areas.

4. Fix Low Spots

Level sunken areas with a mixture of topsoil and compost. Grass will grow through thin layers; for thicker areas, re‑seed.

5. Boost Grass Recovery

Once the lawn dries enough to work on:

• Apply a spring lawn feed (typically April).

• Overseed thin patches to help it thicken.

• Mow lightly and avoid cutting too short.

6. Reduce Future Waterlogging

• Replace dense thatch‑forming grasses with fescues or ryegrass, which tolerate UK conditions well.

• Improve surrounding garden drainage: guttering, downpipes, borders that channel water, etc.

• Add organic matter around borders to help soil structure.

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Bee News - By Michelle at Eco Action Hub/Green Skills

Bombus Terrestris

Well, it’s been a VERY wet start to the year so far, with Reading University having their longest unbroken spell of rain at their outdoor observatory. I’m writing this on another showery February day. Bees tend to avoid flying in heavy rain in case they get waterlogged, but you might have seen queen buff tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) starting to emerge from their slumbers. You can often find queens resting in between foraging flights (watch where you put your feet!) - and research suggests these pauses can last up to 35-45 minutes. They only need moving if they’re on the ground somewhere they might get squashed, but don’t take them indoors to recover as they need to live their lives outside and are well adapted for this. A tired bumblebee can benefit from being put on a nearby flower (this is the best thing to do for them), but can be given a solution of sugar water if there are no nearby blooms. Never give them honey. 

Andrena Haemorrhoa

What else is (hopefully) appearing in early spring? Some of the male mining bees will be coming out - Orange-tailed mining bees (Andrena haemorrhoa) which are sometimes aptly called the early mining bee, and Gynne’s mining bees (Andrena bicolor). Male mining bees can often be quite indistinct in similar shades of brown and so tricky to get an ID. You might spot a ‘mimic’ like the very adorably fluffy dark edged bee fly (Bombylius major). At this time of year and with their hovering flight, they can appear very similar to male Hairy footed flower bees (Anthophora plumipes) also around in spring. But as the name suggests, they are actually flies and you can spot the difference most easily when they are at rest and have one pair of wings held out away from the body (bees have two pairs of wings). They are also pollinators, but are actually parasitoids of solitary bees, flicking their eggs into nests. Nature is always so interesting! 

Anthophora Plumipes on Pulmonaria

Things are popping up in the garden and a lot are great for the pollinators. Spring bulbs, flowering trees and shrubs. My own favourites at this time of year are pulmonaria and wallflowers. However, it’s not just what you’re growing - it’s good to leave nature to do her thing. We’re starting to see deadnettle flowering and it will be followed by green alkanet and both are great for the early bees out. Resist the temptation to pull them out! 

Enjoy your spring bees! 

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Recipe of the Month

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

Jerusalem artichokes can be very knobbly and tricky to peel so instead try scrubbing to remove the skin, the effort is worth the tastiness of this soup. 

Jerusalem artichokes are packed with prebiotic fibre promoting gut health by feeding good gut bacteria, which ultimately boosts immunity. Rich in minerals like iron, potassium, magnesium, and copper, supporting energy, bone health, nerve function, and blood pressure. A distinctive flavour, these sweet, nutty, earthy tubers also provide vitamin C  antioxidant properties, potentially helping with blood sugar control, heart health, and fighting inflammation.

Earlier this month, Nature's Haven successfully harvested a good yield of Jerusalem artichokes and rewarded our hard working volunteers by cooking up this delicious soup.

Ingredients

• 2 - 3 stalks of celery, sliced

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 700g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled & cubed

• 2 large carrots, sliced

• 1 medium potato, chopped (optional)

• 1 - 1.5 litres vegetable stock

• 200 ml creme fraiche

• season to taste

Method

• Put all ingredients, except creme fraiche, in a large pot and simmer for 30 minutes until veg is soft. 

• Then blend until smooth and return to pot and stir in creme fraiche. 

Enjoy!

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