Early drops of spring (From York Press)

Early drops of spring

9:10am Saturday 4th February 2012 in Gardening

Snowdrops need care at first, then they more or less look after themselves, finds GINA PARKINSON

FEBRUARY arrives and with it come the snowdrops.

In some sheltered places these pretty, early spring flowers have been blooming for a number of weeks, but in our garden they have just begun to open.

Those in the sunniest spots, facing the morning sun and sheltered by shrubs from wind and frost, are fully open. Others in colder places that only get a little sun in the early afternoon are still at the promising stage, with swollen white buds atop the stems that threaten to burst out at any moment.

Snowdrops are easy to grow once established; they need virtually no care for years, but it is the establishing that can take time.

The most successful but not the cheapest way is to start buying them in bloom now. Pots of snowdrops can be found in most nurseries and garden centres in January and February. They can be planted straight into the garden, but may need to be a little deeper than they are in the pot, usually around 10cm/4ins below the surface of the soil.

Then just leave them to grow and seed through the years and they will naturally spread themselves about.

Snowdrops prefer semi-shaded places and moist soil, and are best planted as described above or ‘in the green’, which is when they are put in after flowering in March.

This is also the best time to divide overgrown clumps.

They need to be replanted immediately to stop the roots drying out and also to give them a chance to re-establish over the summer. Dry bulbs can be put into the garden in September and October and should flower the following spring.

February jobs

IT IS time to start cutting back.

As well as late-flowering clematis which we looked at last week, roses can be tidied up. Shrub roses need attention at this time of year, although climbers can also be tidied up with the removal of dead or diseased wood and withered stem tips.

Harder pruning depends on the variety of the climber. Some gardeners prefer to cut shrub roses hard back in November, although I tend to leave mine until February or March.

New shoots appearing on the thorny rose stems are a sign of sap rising and an indication that pruning needs to be done straight away. Just take the stems back to an outward facing bud or shoot as far back as is needed for the size of shrub wanted.

At the same time, any weak, dead or diseased stems can be removed.

Keep an eye on the weather though: if a cold snap is forecast it is best to leave the roses for a little while longer, because the tender new growth can be damaged by a heavy frost.

Buddleia can also be cut back this month again, as hard as is desired. Buddleia is an extremely fast grower and even an old specimen will cope with most of its wood being taken away; they seem almost indestructible.

The trick is to always cut above a strong new shoot; this is what will carry this year’s flowers. If space is tight, the whole shrub can be cut hard back.

If a taller specimen is needed, then the cutting back can simply be reduced. But bear in mind that the aim is to encourage lots of new growth and therefore lots of flowers this summer.

Weekend catch-up

The last of the perennials, left in place for their winter skeletons of dried stems and seed heads, can be removed from the beds. Any dead stems need to be cut away from the parent plants, many of which will be showing signs of new leaves pushing up through the soil.

Care needs to be taken to avoid damaging this tender new growth.

There is nothing more annoying than joyously clearing away last year’s growth and finding a lot of this year’s has gone along with it.

Tv and radio

Tomorrow

8am, BBC Radio Humberside, The Great Outdoors. With Blair Jacobs and Doug Stewart.

9am, BBC Radio Leeds, Tim Crowther and Joe Maiden.

2pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Chris Beardshaw, Bob Flowerdew, Christine Walkden and chairman Eric Robson discuss things horticultural at the Royal College of Physicians in London.

Friday

3pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Panellists Matthew Biggs, Pippa Greenwood and Bunny Guinness together with chairman Peter Gibbs are in North Wales with the Cottage Garden Society in Denbigh. There is also a report from a nursery with a history of tropical plant hunting.