This is the first of a new monthly series of gardening tips, written for the Cookham Parish Magazine. This web version is longer, offering greater detail and illustrations.

February can be an odd month for gardeners. Despite the lengthening days and occasional warm spells, it is still winter and February is often one of the wettest months. So our first tip is don’t be in a hurry. If the ground is waterlogged or frozen, steer clear of lawns and borders – you could create more of a mess than you clear up. Frosted lawns can scorch when you walk on them and waterlogged beds are easily compressed, which can ruin the soil structure. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of time to catch up later in the year.

Provided that the temperature is above freezing, and that you can get to them without causing damage elsewhere, February is a good time to prune apples, pears and wisterias. They should still be dormant and with no leaf cover it is much easier to see the shape you’re creating. At this time of year, you can easily distinguish the larger, flowering (and therefore fruiting) buds from the smaller vegetative ones. This makes it easier for you to produce a balance new growth and flowers.

Flowering buds on apple tree

Vegetative buds on apple tree

Wisteria flower buds

Wisteria vegetative buds

As with all pruning, the first task is to remove the three D’s: Dead, Diseased and Damaged material. Then take out crossing branches that may cause congestion and reduce the air flow that keeps the plants healthy. Finally, cut back to the size and shape that you want. It is also a good time to treat dormant fruit trees with a plant oil based “winter wash” to kill overwintering eggs of aphids.

Spring bulbs are one of the great joys of gardens, with their emergence giving a clear sign that life and colour are coming back to the garden. You can start planning for next year’s bulbs now – yes really. As this year’s bulbs come through, take some photos so that when you are tempted at the autumn bulb sales, you’ll know exactly what gaps you want to fill. These might be physical gaps, where a space needs filling, but they could also be gaps in the calendar. With careful selection of varieties, bulbs (and the related corms and tubers) can be used to give colour pretty much all year round. Once planted many are long-lived and fairly undemanding, so are great value contributors to the garden.

Crocuses among leaf litter

Daffodils in the sun