Your guide to February gardening

Introduction 

February is a month of quiet in the garden. While winter still has its grip, the days are getting noticeably longer and the first signs of new life begin to appear. Shoots push through cold soil, early flowers brighten borders, and gardeners start itching to sow seeds again. It’s a month of preparation and early action! 

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What to Sow or Plant 

In southern England, February is the true start of the sowing season — mainly under cover, with a few hardy outdoor options. 

Vegetables (under cover or indoors): Tomatoes (late February), chillies and peppers, aubergines, early lettuce, onions from seed, leeks 

Vegetables (outdoors if soil is workable): Broad beans, peas (hardy varieties), garlic and shallots 

Flowers: Sweet peas (under cover or in a cold frame), hardy annuals like calendula and cornflowers (in mild areas), bare-root roses, shrubs, and fruit trees can still be planted while dormant 

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Harvesting This Month 

February can still provide fresh food, especially from overwintered crops and protected spaces. 

Vegetables: Leeks, kale, brussels sprouts, winter cabbage, parsnips, and stored root crops 

Salads: Winter lettuce and leaves from greenhouses or cold frames 

Ideas for using your harvest: 

• Add kale and leeks to warming soups and stews 

• Roast parsnips and carrots with honey and mustard 

  
  

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Garden Maintenance 

Soil prep: If the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged, dig in compost or well-rotted manure. 

Bed clearing: Remove winter debris and finish cutting back dead perennial growth. 

Weeding: Tackle weeds early before spring growth explodes. 

Greenhouse care: Ventilate on sunny days, water sparingly, clean glass to maximise light. 

Tool check: Sharpen blades, oil moving parts, and restock seed trays and compost. 

Pruning time: Ideal month to prune apple and pear trees (while dormant) and cut back ornamental grasses before new growth appears. 

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Seasonal Highlights 

Early blooms: Snowdrops, crocus, hellebores, and witch hazel bring colour and scent to late winter gardens. 

Seed starting season: One of the most hopeful moments of the gardening year — the first seed trays on a windowsill. 

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Final Tip of the Month 

Start small but start now. A few seed trays, one cleared bed, or one pruned tree is enough to begin the season. Every early step makes spring easier and more abundant.