In Bloom, February
In Bloom This Month
Bulbs follow in numbers. Tens of thousands have been planted and the effect is stunning. A veritable carpet of chionodoxa, scilla, daffodil, et al illuminates the Water Tower walk up to the Ornamental Garden. Three reliable shrubs are flowering too. Chimonanthus praecox (yellow, scented), Daphne mezereum (red/purple, scented) and Cornus mas (yellow) are a welcome sight. This cornus can reach large tree proportions but here it is in hedge form, surrounding wedge-shaped beds, each holding a separate hydrangea cultivar.
Unusually the rose that you see in the picture was in The Garden in February.
Tips For Your Garden
From Our Gardening Team
Although at The Alnwick Garden we are outside working all year round we understand that this month can be a little cold for the average gardener to spend large amounts of time in the garden, we admit that a warm greenhouse or potting shed is a much more welcoming prospect!
This is a great opportunity to do a spot of planning and decide what you wish to achieve in your garden this year. A good way to do this is to make a list of 'must do's' 'would like to do's' and 'in an ideal world's'. Other activities for the potting shed include sowing peas and beans in pots, starting dahlia tubers and repotting pelargoniums.
If the weather is good and the garden beckons, take the time to spread compost on your kitchen garden, you'll find it well worth the effort when you harvest your delicious home grown produce. General feeding is a good idea at this time of year.
If pruning is your forte then February is a good month to get out those secateurs. Winter flowering shrubs, wisteria and greenhouse climbing plants all require a trim, as for autumn fruiting raspberries - cut them right back to ground level. |
