The beginning of Spring 2026

We are heading towards the end of February, it has been wet and cold, but not that frosty. The surrounding fields are at field capacity, in that any rain that falls heads straight for the drains. You can see at a glance whether your soil is well drained or not, because the undrained land has puddles gathering on the surface. Your earth worm population are the best friend you have for keeping your soil in good order, because when they burrow through the soil, they create little drainage channels, which allow excess water to drain away.

Day length in February noticeably extends, and this is enough of a trigger to spring the hardy perennials into growth. I never cease to be amazed at looking the new shoots of growth which miraculously appear on what appears to be a dead plant. This week, I have seen the first shoots on fuchsia, and Lavender overwintered on the nursery start to take on a greenish hue.

The nursery has come alive this month, we are potting thousands of plants, mostly hardy perennials. We have a lot of Dianthus, both the Oscar series, which are very compact, the Sunflor series, which look ideal when planted in borders, and the scented varieties, which look beautiful when established. We have also potted lavender, leucanthemum,, salvia, Verbena Santos, which is a stunning plant when established in the garden, showing a mass of purple flowers.

Other genera potted include Digitalis, Echinacea Lakota, Campanula, Delphinium, Salvia Rose Marvel, Lupin and Aquilegia. In the next two weeks, the Penstemon , Gaura, and Veronica will be arriving. We will also see the first of the salad crops arrive, Aubergine, Chilli Peppers, and Tomatoes. We will also have to think about sowing the vegetable seed, peas, beans, courgettes, and pumpkins. For me it is always an exciting time of the year, because once they are potted, you can see the promise being realised as they grow. The glasshouses almost bounce with growth activity.

In the garden the spring bulbs are coming into flower the daffodils are showing their yellow trumpets, and the tete-a-tets are showing as a mass of flowers. I planted a load of bulbs on a blue porcelain pot, so the yellow contrasts with the blue. They look stunning, and aren’t too expensive to put together.

There is also masses of other tasks to complete, prior to the start of spring proper. I haven’t yet pruned my bushes back, as I fear we might have a late frost. But that is a task waiting to be completed imminently. Where beds and borders have been dug, the soil can be raked, so that you get a fine tilth, ready for planting or sowing seed. Obviously the top surface has to dry out before you do this, so the tilth remains crumbly. If the soil is too wet, it will clump, and you lose the benefit of the winter frost action.

February is also a very good time to make plans for the garden, so that when spring proper starts, you can bounce into life with certainty. It is a good idea to get the hard landscaping completed long before any plants arrive. Laying paths, building borders, and constructing walls takes time, it is heavy work, and must be completed properly so the end result looks good. If you are building retaining walls, make sure you put drainage holes at regular intervals, otherwise the ground water will build up pressure, to the point where I have seen walls fall over.

Another task will be to mulch your existing plants with bark, or compost that you made in the last season from garden waste or organic waste that you can buy from the local tip. Mulches are a brilliant garden tool, they help retain moisture in the border, they supress weed growth, provide organic matter for the earthworms, and most importantly, provide base nutrients for your established plants. Not only are the macro nutrients important, but so are the micro nutrients, such as Manganese, Boron, Iron, and Magnesium.

Although not required in large amounts, an absence of any of these nutrients will lead to deficiencies, and if not corrected, ultimately death. Most soils will have a balanced Ph, the ideal being about 6.7. if the soil is too acidic, a dressing of lime will help correct it. You will soon know whether it is right or not by the colour of the vegetation.

Another benefit of a good mulch is that it will protect plant roots from excess temperatures, should we experience another heat wave this summer. Basically applying a good mulch provides a win- win situation for both you the gardener, and the plants you are trying to grow.

This last weekend, we saw some really warm weather, for the first time this year, and the plants have reacted accordingly. I really look forward to watching our growing crop over the next couple of months, Then hopefully we will see the plants jump as the ready themselves for despatch to their new owners. Then I know we will be busy despatching for the spring season. Take a look at our Instagram clips, and you will be able to see what is happening on our nursery. Thank you for reading,

Yours truly,

Tony Rowland.