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- February
- The Flower Garden
The Flower Garden
This is the perfect month for selecting and purchasing new hellebores. Try and find room for a few more Helleborus x hybridus Ashwood Garden Hybrids as there have been so many recent new developments in our breeding programme and there really are some gorgeous colours and forms now available. Hellebores can’t be beaten for providing flower colour in winter and early Spring, especially when combined with snowdrops and cyclamen. If you haven’t done it already, carefully remove the old foliage from established Helleborus x hybridus plants.
Most Helleborus x hybridus selections perform best when planted on a slight slope in shade or dappled sun. In sunnier spots they can be combined with sprawling hardy geraniums that will climb over the foliage of the hellebores providing some shade against summer sun. Geranium ‘Blue Sunrise’ is perfect for this, with masses of blue flowers displayed against yellow foliage. A number of new hellebores are named selections of Helleborus x ericsmithii (e.g.Pirouette, Winter Moonbeam and Silver Moon’ etc.) and these are are best planted on flat sites in full sun.
Given warm weather, herbaceous plants can lifted and separated. Remember to discard the older tired centre part of the clump only saving the more vigorous outer sections. Towards the end of the month, apply Bonemeal to all herbaceous. Sprinkle sharp sand around emerging tulips and other bulbs to deter slugs. Protect Crocus flowers from bird damage with wreath wires; do not use cotton as this can trap birds. As soon as their flowers have faded, Snowdrops can be divided to increase stock; from my experience they establish better moved this month rather than leaving division until the summer when they may have already started rooting before lifting.
Towards the end of the month prune late flowering deciduous shrubs that flower on the current season’s growth e.g. Buddleia davidii, Hydrangea paniculata. Shrubs that flower on old wood e.g. Philadelphus, Weigelia and Deutzia should not be pruned until after flowering. Delay pruning Cornus and Salix until March so that you can enjoy their attractive stems over the next few weeks. Hard prune late summer and autumn groups of Clematis as their buds begin to swell and no later than the end of this month; do not prune spring and early summer types as you will be removing growth containing flower buds. However, ensure they are well tied in.
Sow sweet peas in small pots, prick out as early as possible into deep small pots or cells, and grow on in cool conditions. Pinch out the growing point after two or three pairs of leaves to improve vigour and encourage bushy plants. Sow in a heated propagator the half-hardy annuals that are slow growing such as Salvia, Lobelia, and Antirrhinum etc. Towards the end of the month more half-hardy annual seed can be sown, subjects include Dianthus, Cosmos, and Verbena.
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