The Spirit of Spring

The spirit of spring is right on the doorstep!. Try to imagine the garden as something more than a garden that is pleasing to the eyes. The garden is the place where all our daily stresses can rapidly leave and any garden can also offer us a threshold into meditation and life transforming/enhancing visualisation. 

• While many seeds, bulbs, plants and trees are slowly waking up its a good time to do any landscaping work, laying paths or decking, re-shaping the vegetable patch, building the pavilion or even constructing or cleaning a garden pond. In little over a month the natural life in the garden will be in full swing and birds starting to nest, all the better to get the construction work out the way now.

• Prepare the beds for direct planting or sowing by weeding, feeding/mulching and raking.

• Set up a greenhouse or cold frame, to get things growing early, and protect plants from late frost.

• Check the outdoor planting containers are regularly watered, particularly those sheltered by house porches.

• Ventilate the glasshouse/conservatory on mild February days to prevent fungal and wood rot problems.

• Consider moving or replacing damaged, overgrown or wrongly located shrubs.

• Visit the local garden centre and stock up on plant pots, peat free compost and organic fertiliser for a good spring start.

• Its possible to plant seeds such as Basil, Sage & Thyme NOW in pots on south or west facing windows for an early start. Full guide to planting your seeds successfully in next months earth-spirit.

• February is a good time to prune hardy evergreen hedges and cut back the wisteria if it's getting out of control. 

• Its the right time, and easy active meditative work to get the bulbs in for a profusion of flowers in the summer, Anemone, Gladiolis, Lillies all give great colour and give the garden deeper character.

• February is the last chance to prune apple and pear trees for a bigger, healthier fruit yield. Pruning apple and pear trees after mid march can seriously damage the tree.

• &  don't forget to keep the bird feeders/baths well filled.

Peter C.  Jan 2020