What to do in your garden in February? My top 5 jobs.

It's cold and bleak out there but there are many signs in the garden that Spring is on it's way. Here's my top 5 February gardening jobs to get your garden ready for the warmer months.

1. Cut back ornamental grasses

Hakonechloa - Before

Hakonechloa - after cutting

Cut back ornamental grassses such as Hakonechloa and Calamagrostis to the ground to allow for new Spring growth.

2. Lightly prune Amelanchier

Amelanchier in my N12 Dog Friendly Garden

This month is the best time to give deciduous trees and shrubs, such as Amelanchier a light prune. Remove dead, diseased and decaying branches and any that are crossing or growing inwards. Create a balanced shape by trimming any over long branches to just above a bud.

3. Prune Winter flowering climbers & shrubs

Jasminium nudifolium in my E10 Tall & Fragrant Planting design

Once finished flowering, February is the perfect time to trim back Winter flowering climbers and shrubs such as Jasmine nudifolium and Viburnum bodnatense.

4. Prune late Summer flowering Clematis

Late Summer flowering Clematis

Prune late Summer flowering Clematis (pruning group 3) when there are signs of buds forming. Cut back to a healthy set of buds 30cm from the ground.

5. Divide clumps of snowdrops

Snowdrops in my N16 Elegant Front Garden

Divide any congested snowdrops after flowering to be planted 'in the green' in other parts of the garden.

Happy Gardening!