February Garden

February sees the slow stirrings of spring starting to show. We start to notice the lengthening days. February 2nd is Candlemas, one of the cross-quarter festivals, when the day/night balance starts to shift and the longer daylight hours lead us gently towards spring’s warmth and light.

Signs of spring life are very heartening for us. The Hazels are usually the first trees to flower with their catkins dangling bright green against bare winter stems. Snowdrops start to push out of the ground and shyly flower. The first precious sunny days bring out the bees and other insects. We watch the soil closely for the first crops to emerge from their winter rest.

Bare rooted trees get planted and last minute pruning happens before the trees start to wake up. This year we have been transplanting baby birch trees to help create new areas of habitat.

After being unearthed last winter, the lean-to shelter near Mick the Bee’s Bee Shed is set for a make-over! Trees have been cleared around it and plans are forming for its shining potential to become clear. This is an exciting project for us and its only just beginning, so we’ll post photos when it’s underway.

The chipper gets its final outing as the trees that have been cut down during winter get chopped up and used as mulch for pathways and habitats for our resident grass snakes.

We turn our attention to the tools that help us tend our plants. Our hand tools get cleaned and sharpened, our machinery gets a full service, ready for the summer rush ahead of us. Our greenhouse and polytunnels get an early spring clean inside and out.

Paperwork and admin chases all our tails throughout the year and it is the least favourite of jobs for the outdoor lovers, but now is the time to sit down, review and update.

We start the hunt for our new seasonal gardener to join us in late March, and finally, this is the best time to catch a breath and go on holiday as it’s the calm before the storm!