February might seem a bit early to start working in the garden, but spring is just around the corner, and there are a number of jobs that could be started – or at least planned – before the month is out.
Nelson Potter supply garden decking and a range of other timber products to customers in Woodbridge, Ipswich, and across Suffolk. Here we identify some of the key February jobs for those with ‘green fingers’.
Prune the Bigger Plants
Some of the bigger plants in your garden need to be cut back now if you want them to grow properly later in the year. This includes hedges, both hardy evergreens and overgrown deciduous ones. The same can be said for climbers such as bougainvillaea and wisteria as well as any winter shrubs that have finished flowering. And if you have any deciduous grasses, cut these back too, and remove any dead grass from evergreen varieties.
Plant and Protect Your Fruit and Veg
Some of you may already have been planted soft fruits such as peaches and nectarines. However, you need to be wary of the double threat of birds (especially pigeons) and frost, which can do a lot of damage as the fruit is about to blossom.
The Royal Horticultural Society recommends protecting soft fruits for at least two weeks after flowering. So make sure they are covered with fleeces or cloches (made of transparent plastic) overnight, and keep an eye on the weather forecast, so you know when the temperatures are likely to plummet.
Now is also the time to sow your carrots and parsnips directly into the soil. Other salad crops such as lettuces and cucumbers prefer to be undercover in a greenhouse.
All Hands On Deck
Now is a good time to put some decking up, or at least create a plan for it. We should be past the worst of winter, so the weather is likely to be a bit more favourable, and the days are getting longer too.
At Nelson Potter, we will be happy to give advice and help you find what you need. We also have a number of decking products, including all the accessories you will need to ensure it’s perfectly stable and long-lasting.
Other Timber Tasks
It’s not just decking that you can install now – there are a number of other landscaping projects that you can be getting on with.
Rounds and half rounds are extremely versatile pieces of timber that can be put to a number of uses. The former can function as supporting stakes for trees and shrubs, particularly young ones that have just been planted – as well as edging for borders (including raised ones). They can also be used as garden fence posts if you don’t want too ‘rigid’ a look in your back garden and want to avoid square ones.
Half rounds, which are semi-circular rather than completely round, can be used for smaller projects such as driveway edging. They also lend themselves well to some rustic garden furniture such as tables, chairs and benches.
As one of the leading timber merchants in East Anglia, we can supply both rounds and half rounds.
Garden Decking in Woodbridge from Nelson Potter
As well as supplying garden decking in Woodbridge and across Suffolk. Nelson Potter also stock a range of other garden furniture, including sheds and summerhouses, to brighten up your outdoor space. For more details of all our products, you can visit our online shop here.
If you would like to get in touch with us directly, follow this link and fill in the online contact form, or call our yards on 01394 460199 (Woodbridge) or 01473 311905 (Ipswich).