It always feels such a long cold time until February, doesn’t it! But it’s here now, and by the end of this short month, spring will be waving a tentative ‘Hello!’ from every corner. We hope.
Plenty to get on with now though in preparation for that, like re-vamping your borders, mulching pots, and dividing some succulents…
Border re-vamp
I doubt that I’m the only one thinking that the flower borders are looking a mess. I tend to leave a lot of the dead top growth on perennials to provide wildlife shelter and protect the plant crowns from the worst of the winter weather. That means there are also old canes and supports, sneaky weeds, and some of the ‘beautiful bullies’ that are starting to spread a little TOO happily. A re-think is called for, and maybe some tweaks to the planting scheme.

If you live in a very cold part of the country, it might be better to leave this task until March. Otherwise, don some warm and waterproof gear, and get out there to do some re-vamping. It’s actually more effective if you can take out everything in a bed first (it’s rather like clearing out a stuffed kitchen drawer!). Pot up the plants that you are going to save, and they will be fine in a damp corner for a few weeks.
Then set to with all the clearing and weeding. Next, improve the soil with organic matter and general purpose fertiliser before returning the plants to the soil, and deciding if you need some new plants to make the area ‘sing’ again. I expect I will (hmmm, hmmm) so I expect you will too!
Check fleeced plants
Have you been protecting plants with fleece over the winter? It’s a good idea to check them every now and again. While fleece is most unlikely to harm plants, mosses and algae can proliferate in the reduced sunlight inside the fleece.

Remove these growths, and check if the plant needs watering. It might also like a day or two in the open air but remember to replace the fleece if frost is forecast.
Buffing your trunks!
Yes, yes, I know it’s like asking you to stuff mushrooms, but I can’t help suggesting that you polish your tree trunks once in a while. You just use a bucket of soapy water, a soft brush and a cloth for wiping
Obviously, the more decorative they are, the more rewarding this somewhat daft job is, so if you are lucky enough to have a snake-bark maple (Acer davidii) or a Tibetan cherry (Prunus serrula), then you would be mad not to buff them up to their shiny best at this murky time of year. (Very excited – I’ve recently bought three bare-rooted Tibetan cherries to stand in a glowing group together, in theory).

Last week, I couldn’t resist spending a chilly hour wiping the green mould off the trunks of our white Himalayan birches (Betula utilis jacquemontii ‘Doorenbos’), and the difference was startling and dare I say, magical. I’ll shup up now or my pragmatic sisters will be on at me to get a grip.
Gardening shorts
- Those bright little yellow winter aconites will soon be up and making us smile. Remember that if you want more of them, divide them ‘in the green’ after flowering because the offsets tend to establish much more quickly than the dry corms.

- Pots of spring bulbs can benefit from a gravel mulch now. It looks very attractive, contrasts beautifully with the bright jewel colours, and keeps the compost from splashing up in rain and spoiling the blooms.

- Finish any hedge-pruning VERY soon, before new growth starts in mid-spring, and before the birds start nest-building in earnest – they are already looking very keen on the idea in my garden……..

- Following on from the last point, this is a fab time to put up some nest boxes. There is actually a bit more to choosing, and siting these that you would think, and Laura has made a really helpful video about this – click on the link below. The nestboxes that we have in our online shop tick all the right boxes (that’s why we chose them) – click on the photo at the bottom of the page.
- If you’ve got lots of little succulents like Sempervivum or Echeveria sprouting beside the parent plant (these offsets are called ‘pups’ which is rather sweet 😊), why don’t you make them into more plants? Take the whole plant out of the compost and carefully cut away each offset with a bit of root attached. Leave them for 3-4 days out of the soil to callus over and then tuck them into their own pots of fresh gritty compost. Water them sparingly while they establish.

- I must end with a reminder that though this is generally less than a sparkling time of year for the garden, there are still jewels out there if you take the time to look closely. In amongst the rotting leaves and detritus of a dark corner I found this hellebore. Nuff said.

Here is the link to Laura’s video about how to choose and site a bird nest box.
And do have a look at the perfect nest boxes that we have in our shop, an excellent way to get prepped for National Bird Box Week on February 14-21:

Have you caught up with our Bag a Bargain page yet?! We have two plant suppliers with free delivery on EVERYTHING this weekend, Muck Boot has a special offer just for us, and Genus Gardenwear has an amazing limited-time deal. Do have a look – it might save you a lot!

Here’s a shrub with unremarkable flowers but a VERY remarkable scent, and it pumps its fragrance out at this challenging time of the year. We’re not surprised it’s one of Louises’ Great Plants of the Month……

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4 replies on “Time for a re-vamp? Gardening tips for early February”
thank you all for all your help i know have afailydesent garden im getting there slowly SO now i can think about watching the wild life thanks for the bird box tips but whould it be possible for a how to fix uo a wide life camars just in plain easey syeps thanks againe gh
Oh Gloria I wish I could! We got a wildlife camera last spring but it was so complicated to set up – did we want video or stills? long range or short range? pictures on a memory card or direct to our phones? -the list went on and on. I did eventually manage to get a fuzzy photo of a deer in our paddock but to be honest we can see these much clearer in broad daylight! My advice would be to ask for help from a Young Person (ie someone under 40) who seem to be able to set these things up as if it was all second nature. Sorry not to be able to be more helpful and good luck with the project, best wishes Laura
Thank you for all your great advice – I love reading your blog each weekend! The comment about mulching pots with grit prompts a question. Have you found a way of washing the grit afterwards when it’s covered in soil, so that you can reuse it?
Hello Linda, Laura here. I use a kitchen sieve under a running tap for this purpose as it has just the right mesh size. Hope this is helpful, Best wishes Laura