Even though the weather can be at its coldest in February the days are becoming noticeably longer, birdsong fills the air, and when the sun does make an appearance its warm rays make spring feel tangibly close. In the garden, snowdrops can be depended on to raise the spirits, but there are a whole host of other plants that will festoon your garden with colour and scent, provide a valuable source of food for early flying insects and help to banish the winter blues.
Early-flowering bulbs need to be planted in autumn, however. If you didn’t get round to doing this or you want to fill in some gaps, now that you can see bare soil, take a trip to the garden centre where there should be a good selection of potted bulbs, such as Iris reticulata, crocus, scilla, Cyclamen coum and Eranthis hyemalis (winter aconite), ready for planting into the ground or containers. Be selective, choosing the pots with the most shoots showing, and tempting as it is to go for those already in bloom for instant colour, instead choose the ones where the buds have yet to open, as this will mean you get a longer display once they’re planted up.
Primroses, sweet violets and pulmonaria are perennials keen to get growing, the first two often flowering in January if the weather has been mild. These easy-to-grow, ground-hugging plants work well intermingled with bulbs, transforming bare, brown winter soil into a tapestry of colourful blooms.
Shrubs that flower on this seasonal cusp also add useful height and structure to borders where the interest would otherwise be low to the ground. Some, such as camellias or early-blooming rhododendrons, have large, blowsy blooms, but most tend to have small flowers, an adaptation that means they’re less likely to be damaged by the vagaries of the weather at this time of year. They make up for their diminutive size with their profusion and often have the added delight of a heady scent. While they are generally hardy it’s a good idea to find a sheltered spot for these shrubs, as not only will this minimise damage from frost or cold winds, it’ll also mean any fragrance will linger.
Extending seasonal interest
Some early-flowering shrubs are admittedly short-lived beauties, fading into the background after a month or so while the rest of the garden unfurls around them. In a small garden where plants need to work hard for their place, growing these one-hit wonders can seem like an indulgence. However, these ephemeral plants, just like seasonally grown asparagus or strawberries, conjure up a sense of anticipation and make us savour their moment in the spotlight. For added seasonal interest several do have attractive autumn leaf colour, and you can maximise your garden’s flower power by using the woody structure of the taller shrubs as a natural support for compact climbers such as summer-flowering clematis to scramble through — the viticella types would work well. Wait until the shrub is established and tall enough before planting a clematis at the base.
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Tidy up
So that early bloomers can shine, make the most of any dry days to transform your windswept soggy beds and borders. Start to cut back the stems and foliage of perennials and ornamental grasses that you’ve left in place over winter, but rather than bundling the plant material onto the compost heap or into your green waste bin, spread it under hedges, evergreen shrubs and at the back of borders. This will mean there’s still habitat for any overwintering insects and over time it will decompose, forming a wonderful mulch for the soil in these patches.
To get in among your plants it’s a good idea, unless you garden on sandy, free-draining soil, to place a wooden board on the soil, taking care not to squish any emerging shoots. Walking on this will spread your weight so that you don’t compact soil that needs time to dry out, and your boots/wellies won’t get covered in clods of earth.
Once the thicket of top growth is cleared, scout out any bulbs that are appearing, as they often get buried under layers of soggy foliage. To clear a space for them, push fallen leaves to one side and trim back any overhanging perennial foliage if necessary. It will all look a bit bare at first, but the garden will be ready for a new season to burst forth.
What to grow
Lonicera x purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’: this shrubby, winter-flowering honeysuckle can look a tad unkempt with its bushy mass of branches, and the small, creamy-white flowers are unassuming, however, all is forgiven when you catch a whiff of its delicious zesty scent. It can bloom as early as December, but it’s typically at its peak from February into March, when it’s a magnet for flying bees.
Prunus mume ‘Beni-chidori’: the Japanese apricot produces fleeting but exquisite deep pink, almond-scented blossom. It’s one for mild, frost-free gardens, where it’ll do best in full sun and a sheltered spot. Its shrubby proportions — it’ll grow to about 2.5m with a similar spread — means it won’t take up too much space, and it has yellow-orange autumnal leaves.
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Edgeworthia chrysantha: I first came across this at RHS Wisley, my gaze attracted to the unusual clusters of tubular golden yellow flowers on the tips of the stems. It’s said to be frost-hardy to -5C; planting by a south-facing wall will provide added protection.
Erica carnea: heathers do have a bit of an image problem thanks to their associations with conifer gardens of the Seventies, but they’re worth reconsidering. This species blooms from January to April, forming a spreading, low-growing mat of dark green, needle-like foliage with flowers in various shades of pink or white depending on the variety. Plant in full sun, and while it prefers acid to neutral soil, it will tolerate alkaline conditions.
Abeliophyllum distichum: if the bright yellow blooms of forsythia are too brash for you then this close relative is a more subtle option. The fragrant flowers are a similar shape but a demurely elegant white or pale pink. The leaves turn purple in autumn for added interest. Wider than it is tall (it’ll grow to 1.5 by 2.5 metres) it’ll need room to spread.
Hellebores: these long-flowering beauties are the perfect perennial to plant underneath an early-blooming shrub. Glossy, bottle-green leaves provide lush evergreen groundcover, and thanks to plant breeders you can choose from a plethora of flower forms and hues from single blooms, frilly doubles or those with anemone centres; plain petals or spotted; and colours ranging from almost black through deep purples and burgundy to shades of pink, yellow and white.
Stachyurus praecox: this rarely grown medium-to-large spreading shrub has pendant clusters of small, bell-shaped, pale yellow flowers that cascade from outstretched, leafless branches. Attractive autumn leaf colour adds to its attributes. Plant in moist but well-drained, acid to neutral soil, in full sun or part shade.
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Cornus mas ‘Variegata’: the clusters of golden yellow flowers that stud the bare branches of the Cornelian cherry in late winter raise the spirits, but this form has the added attraction of grey-green and creamy-white variegated leaves through spring into summer rather than the plain green of the species. Red fruits and colourful autumnal leaves follow.
Pulmonaria ‘Cotton Cool’: pulmonarias are one of the first perennials to emerge and they’ll keep on flowering until late spring. They need reliably moist soil and part shade, otherwise their foliage can be prone to mildew in a hot, dry summer. However, this cultivar, which I have in my garden, seems much more resistant and has coped well in recent heatwaves. It also has striking narrow, silvery-green leaves and a profusion of blue flowers that fade to pink.
Cardamine quinquefolia: this delightful plant, the five-leaved cuckoo flower, is perfect for woodland-style planting. The mauve-pink flowers erupt in February into March before the whole plant dies back underground in summer, reappearing the following year — combine it with hostas, hardy geraniums or astrantia, which will fill the gap. It prefers moist, dappled shade, where it will grow with vigour.
