The Potting Shed
February 2024
Nearly Spring!
The mornings are noticeably lighter and the evenings not so dark, and when the skies are clear you can really feel that Spring is on the way. The snowdrops and winter flowers really help too.
It's also a chance to enjoy the new February Newsletter!
Working
Jobs to Do in the Garden this Month
The end of Winter..
January and early February is a good time for the winter pruning of apples and pears (non-stone fruit) and for making sure that any fallen leaves or old stems of herbaceous perennials don’t smother emerging bulbs or winter bedding
Now is the time for winter pruning of Wisteria where stems are cut back stems to two or three buds
Also prune other climbers such as Virginia creeper, ivy, Campsis, winter-flowering jasmine, and the late-flowering Clematis – ones that flower on the new season’s growth
Bare rooted roses, shrubs, hedging, and some trees can also be planted now through to end of February and are a very cost-effective way to buy new plants
Seeds of plants that need a long growing season or when you want the earliest possible flowers (or salad leaves!) should be started under cover
Hardy annuals and many vegetable seeds, garlic, and onion sets can also be started under cover now
Start the chitting of seed potatoes - Stand the potatoes end-up in a tray and leave indoors in bright light to allow short stumps of shoots to form.
Dahlia tubers and Lily and Dutch Iris bulbs can also be started back into life under cover but do be careful of more cold weather
Something missing? - Use the Feedback form to suggest your own Tips and Dos and Don'ts...
Relaxing
What's Looking Good in the Garden
Use the arrows on the pictures to browse
Snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis
Kale 'Scarlet' (Borecole)
Sarcococca confusa, Sweet box
Red Sky in the Morning...
Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane', Witch Hazel
Hellebore
Oak Moss, Evernia prunastri
Skimmia japonica (female)
Daphne, Daphne odora aureomarginata
Cyclamen coum
Winter Aconite, Eranthis hyemalis
Amaryllis, Hippeastrum 'Grand Diva'
Crocus 'Orange Monarch'
Something missing? - Use the Feedback form to let us know your recommended plants to grow...
Thinking
This month's Wordsearch and CrossGram
Wordsearch
CrossGram - Dendrobium
Part Anagram; Part Crossword. The answers to all the short clues are shorter-word anagrams of the long starter word, and there's even some clues to help you complete it! The answers are at the bottom of the page.
Dendrobium Orchids, with their perfuse blooms along cane-like stems, have become increasingly popular as a houseplant. The genus Dendrobium contains nearly 2000 species and has recently had two new additions – the blue orchid Dendrobium azureum rediscovered atop the volcanic island of Waigeo in Indonesia, and a spectacular red-flowering species Dendrobium lancilabium wuryae. These may not be in your friendly local garden centre any time soon, but they are on the Kew Gardens list of the Top Ten new plant species identified in 2023.
Visiting and Seeing
Places to Go and Things to Do
RHS Wisley goes back in time from the 3rd February with their ‘Houseplant Takeover – Plants Before Time’ exhibition in the glasshouse. The glasshouse is open until 3.45pm daily and the exhibition is included with normal admission. The exhibition runs until the 10th March.
Nine new gardens have been added to the list of RHS Partner Garden scheme for 2024, including Sandringham Gardens in Norfolk and Gilbert White’s Garden in Selbourne, near Alton. David Standing presented a talk on ‘Gilbert White the Gardener’ at our November 2022 Club meeting, and it is nice to see the garden included in the Partner Garden scheme.
RHS Wisley and the Garden Centre will be closed over the weekend of the 24th and 25th February due to the closure of the A3 between the M25 interchange and the A247/B2215.
Several gardens are opening in February as part of the National Garden Scheme. For more details of all the NGS gardens opening in our area, please see the NGS Website.
Shamley Green Gardening Club are hosting an evening with Christine Walkden on Tuesday, 5th March from 6.45pm at Longacre School, Hullbrook Lane, Shamley Green, GU5 0NQ. Tickets are £15 from Aurelle Tomkins, aurelletomkins@gmail.com
Advance notice: Sunday 17th March, 2.30pm – The Surrey Horticultural Federation Spring Talk with Nick Hamilton. Normandy Village Hall.
Something missing? - Use the Feedback form to suggest places to visit or local events...
Remembering
The Old 'Potting Shed' Pages
CrossGram - The Answers for February
(Click to Reveal)
