---

We had an incredibly thick layer of snow on the ground recently, and I loved looking out at the softened skeletons of the trees and shrubs in my garden in this unusual guise. The majestic apple tree looked magical clothed in snow (though I MUST give it a prune before the sap starts to rise) and the feeders strung through its branches were covered in birds, grateful for the food. I hope you’re remembering to keep the feeders in your garden topped up as the birds really will appreciate your help. Hang out some fat balls or suet blocks too (the additional calories are much needed), and sprinkle some food on the ground for robins and other ground feeders. I have a dear little robin who swoops down onto the bench as soon as he sees me go out, waiting for his pile of food to be put on the ground. Such pleasure is found in these simple acts.

Now that the snow has melted, get out into your garden as soon as you can, because (surely?!) spring is not that far away, and there really is quite a bit we can all be getting on with.

Ornamental plants

If you forgot to plant spring bulbs in the autumn, don’t worry - we have a good range of growing bulbs in pots, including Crocus’, Snowdrops, Narcissi, dwarf Iris and Hyacinths.

In the shop you’ll find summer flowering bulbs ready to be planted now, including Dahlias, Gladioli and Lilies. As with spring flowering bulbs, this is a wonderfully cheap and easy way to add colour and scent to your borders.

Our delivery from Tuscany will be coming in at the end of the month, with a wealth of fabulous larger shrubs and trees, including the dazzling Magnolia “Stellata”. Our Camellia delivery also comes in this month. As one of the few shrubs flowering at this time of year, they are a purchase that will brighten up even the dullest of gardens, and have the added advantage of being shade tolerant.

February/March is the perfect time to be planting roses, and we will have a large selection coming in from David Austin Roses arriving at the end of the month.

Many plants will benefit from a mulch of horse manure at this time – roses and wisteria in particular. Just mound it round the base of the plant and it will slowly get incorporated into the soil and offer these hungry plants a feast. Talking of wisteria, if you haven’t done so already, make sure you give yours its vital winter prune as soon as you can, or you’ll get a disappointing flower display.

Vegetables and other edible crops

Get digging! Apart from the fact that the work will warm you up, it’ll benefit your plot enormously if you put in some effort preparing and improving the soil now. The frosts we’ve had have done some of the hard work for you, by breaking down the soil, and you’ll quickly be able to incorporate compost or horse manure to break down the clumps even further and nourish the soil prior to planting.

If you need to add oomph to your raised beds or vegetable patch, we suggest using either Abbeymore Organic compost or well-rotted horse manure to enrich the soil. We have plenty of both in stock.

Once your plot has been dug over and nourished, start planting. We have many varieties of seed potatoes, garlic and shallots in stock, ready to plant straight away.

As always, we have the fabulous Franchi Italian vegetable seeds in stock. Some items within the range are ready to plant now, and others can be started off in a propagator or greenhouse. We have seed compost available, which is the best medium to grow seeds in.

We’ll have a good range of soft fruit and fruit trees in very soon. I’ve ordered a large range of fruit trees, but if you’re looking for something specific, please let me know, and I can add your request to the order ( click here to order)

As soon as they’re available, we’ll have our ever popular young vegetable plants in stock, for those of you who’d rather not plant from seed.

If you’re planning on growing your own veg, herbs and fruit, you’ll find everything you need in the shop - from propagators, seed trays and root trainers, to raised bed frames and bean and pea supports, not forgetting tomato and potato planters.

By the end of the month we will also have ready-to-assemble raised beds in stock. These are made from a high quality, treated timber, and have a ‘copper-stopper’ band embedded all the way round to deter slugs and snails from climbing up and in. Each one measures 1m square, allowing ample space to start your new vegetable plot.

General

National Nest Box Week starts on 14^th Feb, and is a timely reminder that birds need places to raise their young as well as the food and water we provide. We have a wide range of nesting boxes on offer, starting at £3.50 for a little nesting pocket, up to over £50 for a handmade wooden set of Sparrow flats.

We hope to see you very soon, but in the meantime – keep warm!

Karen

PS If you’d rather give your loved one something longer lasting than flowers or chocolates this Valentine’s Day, come and have a mooch in the shop and vintage shed. As always, we’ve got lots of ‘gorgeous things’ (As Edina in Absolutely Fabulous would say!) to suit all budgets.

Opening Hours February 10.00am – 4.00pm Monday to Sunday

 

Tel:020 8670 7788 www.alleynpark.co.uk

Garden jobs for February

You won't be venturing out into the garden very often in February, unless we have some early spring days. Instead, use the dark days to plan your planting for the year ahead. What shrubs and trees have you dreamed of? A fruit tree, perhaps, or something to give spring blossom or autumn colour. What about vegetables? You could plan the layout of the vegetable patch, or a new herb garden. Think back to last year, was there something of interest in the garden all through the seasons, or did it all happen in June?! Take some time to look through books and magazines to identify new plants and combinations to try this year.

Some specific jobs for the month:

• Clear out the shed or storage cupboard, checking over tools and equipment to make sure they are all clean and in working order, and getting rid of any chemicals and fertilisers which have been lying around for a long time. These materials should be taken to your local authority waste site for safe disposal.
• Prune deciduous trees if needed to keep them in shape.
• Prune overgrown hedges to improve their health and shape. Most deciduous hedges can be pruned hard. Broadleaved evergreens such as Prunus laurocerasus and laurel can also be cut quite hard, but never cut conifers back to bare wood, with the exception of yew.
• If the recent snow has bent branches of conifers, tie them in. These rarely break, and tying them in with soft twine, cushioned wire or fabric will encourage them back in and help maintain the shape of the tree.
• Prune summer flowering deciduous shrubs such as Buddleja, Caryopteris, hardy fuchsias, santolina and others. These can generally be pruned very hard, almost to the ground leaving a few buds or shoots on each stem. If you want to increase the size of the shrubs, leave a few stems on and prune these lightly. Sprinkle with organic fertiliser and mulch with good organic compost or manure.
• Finish pruning apple and pear trees, gooseberries, red and blackcurrants.
• Prune autumn fruiting raspberries, cutting each cane right down to the ground.
• Cut back Group 3 clematis – the late flowering ones which flower on the current year’s growth eg. Etoile Violette, Jackmanii, Gravetye Beauty – to the lowest pair of strong buds, at about knee height, 30cm above the ground.
• Prune roses to encourage healthy new flowering stems.
• Sweet Pea seeds can be sown indoors in a propagator on a sunny windowsill, and planted out later on.
• If the weather improves and the soil gets warm, you can start to sow broad beans, peas, cabbage, beetroot and spinach under cloches
• Raise pots from the ground using pot feet to help drainage and prevent water logging.
• Try not to walk on lawns when they are frosted or wet – it can cause damage.
• When possible, deadhead winter bedding plants such as cyclamen and pansies, and remove any diseased leaves and remember to water them. A lack of watering can cause mildew.
• Keep an eye out for the first signs of herbaceous growth and protect from slug attack.

Finally, as Karen has said, keep the bird feeders clean and topped up, and ensure a continuous water supply.

I’ll look forward to encouraging you out into the garden, or onto the balcony, in the coming months. In the meantime, get planning!

Sally

Opening Hours February 10.00am – 4.00pm Monday to Sunday

 

Tel:020 8670 7788 www.alleynpark.co.uk