Gardening jobs for February

Put up a nest box

Make sure that you site your box out of the prevailing wind and strong sunlight. It should be about 1-3m above the ground, ideally on a tree trunk, but a wall or shed is fine, too. 

Look for somewhere that is hard for cats or squirrels to reach and be sure to position it away from bird tables and feeders, as they're busy areas.

Here's our best squirrel-proof bird feeders. 

Plant garlic outdoors

Get your garlic in the ground before the end of February.

Break the bulbs into the individual cloves and plant pointed-end up, so that the tip is just covered in soil. Space them 15cm apart in rows that are 30cm apart in a sunny spot, preferably with well-drained soil.

Read more on how to grow garlic.

Cut back ornamental grasses

After looking good all winter, the biscuit-coloured stems of deciduous ornamental grasses, such as miscanthus, will begin to get untidy. Using secateurs, cut them back to ground level, being careful not to damage any new, green growth that's sprouting at the base.

If you've got a lot of plants you can save time by slicing the stems with a hedge trimmer into 5-8cm pieces which can be left on the ground to rot down.

You can give plants a boost by feeding them and mulching around them.

Sow half-hardy annuals

Some tender plants, such as pelargoniums and begonias, need a long growing season, so it's good to start them off from seed early in the year. Check the back of the seed packet and sow when recommended as others can be left as late as April or even May.

Make sure you always use our Best Buy compost for sowing seeds as they make a huge difference in terms of the results you'll get.

Veg jobs for February

It may be chilly outside but it's time to get going on the veg plot.

• Warm the soil
• Start off peas in guttering
• Sow broad beans

For our full guide to veg garden jobs for February, watch our video.