February weather has been rather wild – windy, cold and we‘ve seen dramatic rainfall and flooding. However we see coming signs of spring each day – it’s so exciting to see green shoots pushing through bare earth, and the delicate petals of snowdrops and crocuses, closely followed by early daffodils. There’s such a magic to see the spring bulbs pushing up and reminding us that the earth is waking up. In the gardens this month it’s a good time to keep tidying up beds, clearing early weeds, and tending to winter bedding plants to prolong their colour. And enjoy exploring London’s parks, RHS Wisley and Kew Gardens to see spring emerging.
Plantwatch
Look out for…
Snowdrops – the first flowers of the year, they are tiny winter treasures to be found in parks, woods and gardens, varying shades of narrow green leaves paired with fresh winter white petals
Crocuses – in pastel and bright shades of yellow, lilac, purple and white, the goblet shaped flowers enjoy full sun and can often be found beneath deciduous trees
Daffodils – considered the ‘heralds of spring‘, the many varieties of cheery bright yellow, lemon and white flowers grow well in containers, beds or in grass
Good time to…
Prune evergreen hedges and tidy up deciduous hedges
Cut back and tidy grasses
Prune wisteria and buddleia
Gardens in the news
The best places to see spring flowers
Wander and explore any of London’s eight Royal Parks. Also see their self-guided walks using maps, apps and music to navigate around and learn more about these beautiful city spaces.
RHS Wisley is celebrating spring flowers with a series of events. The Spring Plant Fair is on 20-22 March, followed by the Early Daffodil Competition on 24-25 March. Plus The Daffodil Show on 7-8 April.
Kew Gardens is beautiful year round and its spring bulb displays will be an uplifiting sight. It also has a daily guided tour of signs of spring in the gardens.
Plant facts – Snowdrops
- Snowdrops are grouped under the genus Galanthus (from the Greek for milk flower). The variety nivalis means ‘of the snow‘.
- If you take the time to look at snowdrops up close, you’ll see they come in more varieties than you realise, such as twin-flowered, green-tipped, and giant snowdrops. Each variety is quite different and each delicate and pretty in its own way.
- Often used in art and literature as a symbol of spring and purity.
- They are hardy plants that like partial shade and work well under trees, in beds and even in containers.
Company news
Seasonal tidy-up and new planting in a Wimbledon garden.
New Lonicera nitida hedging planted at residential maintenance site in Wimbledon.
Do please feel free to contact us to discuss any of your gardening needs
Best wishes
Toby and The Urban Gardeners team