February
This month can be a reminder that spring is just round the corner with Snowdrops
and other Spring bulbs in flower. 
So - get rid of the winter blues - and have a go at this little lot! 

Preparation of the ground for spring planting can be carried out whenever the weather permits. Place protective covering over soil in areas where you are going to plant or sow seeds. This will assist in the warming up of the earth so that sowing can take place earlier. 

You should also start to remove the 'overcoats' that you dressed up your tender plants in!

Complete the pruning of fruit trees and continue planting in suitable conditions. It is your last chance to complete winter spraying with tar oil wash. Spray outdoor peaches, apricots, and nectarines with a fungicide to control peach leaf curl. It is important to do this as a 'preventative' rather than to try it later as a 'cure'. In this case, "prevention is better than cure"

Cut back autumn fruiting raspberries to about 15cm of the ground and trim the tops of canes of summer fruiting raspberries. Prune figs.

Roses can be pruned towards the end of the month. A number of summer flowering shrubs can also be pruned. For information on which ones and how, see the Pruning Guide

Cut down faded foliage on herbaceous perennials before new growth starts. Lilies can still be planted.  Now is the time to divide and replant snowdrops. Plant lily of the valley crowns,

Winter and spring bedding plants need to be dead-headed to encourage a long flowering period with many more blooms.

Spike lawns with a fork if surface drainage is poor.  You can even give the lawn a light trim towards the end of the month - if weather conditions permit!

Keep ventilating greenhouses when the weather is mild, but do close up from late afternoon to 'store' some heat through into the night.  Clean up the greenhouse prior to spring sowings.

Bulbs which have finished flowering indoors can be planted straight from their containers into the garden - weather permitting. Carefully separate into single bulbs firstly. Apply a dressing of 'Fish Blood and Bonemeal'

It is a good idea to find out what your soil is like especially if you have a new garden or allotment. A soil testing kit will enable you to determine not only the pH of your soil, but some will show if there is a deficiency in nitrogen, phosphate, or potash. See AYNTKA Garden Soils

This is a good month for a dressing of bonemeal to shrub borders and beds. It takes a few weeks before it starts to break down in the soil, so it will be a ready source of plant food when the plants need it in a few weeks. See AYNTK Organic Fertilizers

Forward to March - once you have done all of this!