February

Chard's Winter Resilience: A Spring Bounty

As winter's chill begins to relent, the ever-resilient chard springs back to life, offering a fresh harvest of tender young leaves. These vibrant greens are a testament to chard's hardiness, having braved the harshest of seasons and emerged with renewed vigour. Early spring marks the perfect time to indulge in these tender offerings, before the plant shifts its focus to producing flower spikes and setting seeds. Chard varieties like the captivating 'Peppermint,' with its striking bright pink colour, provide not only visual delight but a delicious and versatile addition to your culinary repertoire. And fear not, despite its name, 'Peppermint' chard won't leave your taste buds with a toothpaste flavour; instead, it offers a delightful burst of earthy goodness. With chard, the garden's gift keeps on giving, promising a springtime bounty that's as vibrant and delightful as it is nutritious.

Winter Lettuce: A Prelude to Abundant Greens

In the quiet of winter, the steadfast lettuce plants that braved the cold months are now on the cusp of transformation. As the temperatures begin to mellow, 'Winter Density' and its fellow winter-hardy varieties are starting to form their hearts. This moment, however, need not herald an immediate harvest; instead, it offers a tantalizing prelude to what's to come. You can gently pluck a few leaves from each plant while allowing the rosettes to continue their journey toward full-hearted maturity, scheduled for April or May. This thoughtful approach extends your lettuce harvest, providing a steady supply of crisp greens for a meal every week or two. With each leaf you pick, you're not just enjoying the delicious taste of homegrown lettuce; you're savouring the anticipation of a bountiful harvest just around the corner.

Reviving Parsley: A Final Flourish Before Seed Setting

Parsley, the unsung hero of the kitchen garden, holds its verdant charm even at this time of year. However, as the season wears on, even these resilient plants can tire. But fear not, for parsley offers a rejuvenation secret. To coax a final flush of fresh leaves before it begins its inevitable journey to seed, simply trim away the older, weary leaves, using any still-vibrant ones for culinary delights or preserving them for later. This thoughtful pruning allows the plant to channel its energy into a spurt of new growth, revitalizing its lush greenery. But don't rush to remove all your parsley; consider leaving a few to set seed. Not only does this provide a valuable food source for early insects, but it also grants you the opportunity to save your own seed, ensuring a constant supply for seasons to come. 

Early Peas: A February Sowing for Savvy Gardeners

For those eager to kickstart their garden in February, selecting the right variety of peas opens the door to early sowing. Varieties like 'Douce Provence' and 'Meteor,' with their round seeds, offer a strategic advantage—they resist water retention in any wrinkles, reducing the risk of rot before they even get started. These round-seeded peas can be sown as early as autumn and once again from early February. To give your seedlings ample root space and facilitate easy transplanting, consider planting them in old toilet rolls or root trainers. Within a matter of weeks you'll have healthy plants ready for transplanting into the garden. While regular wrinkled varieties of peas await their turn for sowing next month, you're on the cusp of an early start to your gardening season. With 'Douce Provence' and 'Meteor' peas in the ground, the promise of sweet, garden-fresh peas is not far off.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli: A February Feast

As winter's grip begins to loosen, the garden offers up a delightful gift in the form of Purple Sprouting Broccoli (PSB). This garden gem becomes a staple of late winter and early spring, gracing your table with daily spears of delectable greens. But you're not the only one with an appreciation for this tasty vegetable; pigeons are equally enamoured. To safeguard your PSB, a vigilant netting strategy is essential. Pigeons, in their determined quest for a snack, will even attempt to land on top of cages to access your precious plants. To counter their efforts, a few sturdy canes with tennis balls perched on top can prop up netting in the middle of your cages, keeping the pigeons at bay and your PSB safe. And don't forget, those broccoli leaves are culinary treasures too! Simply cut out the midrib before cooking, and you'll discover that they make a delightful substitute for kale. With these tips in mind, you're all set to relish the bounty of Purple Sprouting Broccoli in February, a true delight of the late-winter garden.

Savoy Cabbages: Winter's Resilient Greens

When winter's chill envelops the garden, Savoy cabbages stand as paragons of resilience. Among the hardiest of their kind, they withstand the coldest months with unwavering fortitude. 'January King', in particular, earns its name by thriving in the harshest of conditions and being ready for harvest in late winter. To ensure a healthy crop, vigilant care is crucial. Regularly inspect your plants for any sign of yellowing or rotting leaves, swiftly removing them to prevent the spread of decay that can compromise the entire head. Since growth is limited during this season, don't hesitate to trim larger leaves that may touch neighbouring plants, preventing potential issues. When the time comes for harvesting, simply cut the cabbage head and leave the stump rooted in the ground. With a bit of luck and a shallow X-shaped cut in the stump, your Savoy cabbages may surprise you with a fresh flush of leaves, perfect for enjoying as a delightful addition to your winter menu, reminiscent of spring greens.

Aubergines: A Late Winter Start for Summer Delights

Whether you crave the slender, long-fruited varieties or the more robust and meaty types, the time has come to embark on your aubergine-growing journey. Towards the end of this month, sow those aubergine seeds on your kitchen windowsill, nurturing the promise of summer delights. Aubergine plants thrive under the embrace of a long, hot growing season, making them well-suited for the shelter of a greenhouse or tunnel. The smaller-fruited varieties, such as 'Jackpot,' can flourish outdoors in a sunny spot, adding a Mediterranean touch to your garden. Conversely, the larger-fruited 'Meatball' aubergines are best suited for cultivation under cover, offering a prolific bounty of fruit. With these choices in mind, your aubergine harvest will soon grace your table with the rich, smoky flavours that make this vegetable a culinary delight.

Parsnips: A Sneak Peek at Sprouting Seeds

For the parsnip enthusiast eager to kickstart their garden, now is the perfect time to sow those precious seeds. A clever trick to ensure your parsnip crop gets off to a strong start involves a piece of moist kitchen paper and a trusty zippy bag. Place the parsnip seeds onto the damp paper, then seal them inside the bag and find a cosy, dark corner where they can germinate in peace. This method offers a sneak peek into the world of sprouting seeds, allowing you to identify which seeds are primed for growth as they develop a small "tail" during germination. Armed with this knowledge, you can carefully plant these germinated seeds precisely where you want them to flourish in your garden, ensuring a successful and rewarding parsnip harvest in the months to come.

Autumn-Fruiting Raspberries: Pruning and Nurturing for a Bounty

As February unfolds, it's time to turn your attention to the care of your autumn-fruiting raspberry canes. To pave the way for a bountiful harvest in the upcoming season, the first task is to prune the canes, cutting them off at ground level. This seemingly drastic measure is the secret to encouraging fresh, vigorous canes that will bear this year's delectable fruit.

Following the pruning ritual, it's best to surround your raspberry plants with a generous helping of well-rotted manure. Acting as both a mulch and a weed suppressant, this rich nourishment not only keeps emerging canes well-fed but also aids in maintaining a weed-free growing environment. 

Embracing Winter's Bounty: The Final Hurrah for Squash and Pumpkin

As the last vestiges of winter linger, those fortunate enough to have stored squash and pumpkins in their pantry can embark on a culinary adventure. Now is the time to unlock the full potential of these treasures before they show signs of deterioration. To extract the richest, most robust flavours, consider roasting the flesh of your squash and pumpkins. This simple step imparts a deep, caramelized essence that elevates their taste to new heights.

Once roasted, these golden morsels can be transformed into a medley of soups, purees, and dishes that warm the soul. The beauty of this approach lies in its versatility; you can freeze what you create and savour the delicious results at your leisure, whether it's a hearty winter soup or a creamy pumpkin puree for pies and pastries. Embrace the seasonal delight of using up your stored squash and pumpkin.

Farewell to Winter, Hello to Fertility: A Final Compost Call

As winter gradually yields to the promise of spring, gardeners have one last opportunity to infuse their plots with nourishing goodness. If the autumn rush left your beds untouched, fear not, for now is the time to act. Adding well-rotted manure or homemade compost to your garden beds is a gesture that pays rich dividends in the season to come. While it's true that this task ideally belongs to the autumn calendar, life often moves at its own pace. 

A word of caution, though: freshly manured beds aren't the ideal space for root crops, as the rich nutrients can cause roots to warp or twist. However, brassicas will revel in the extra feed, growing strong and lush. So seize this final opportunity to enrich your soil, bidding farewell to winter's dormancy and greeting the promise of a flourishing garden in the approaching spring.

Potting Up Perennials: Nurturing the Future of Your Garden

As the winter season gently transitions into spring, it's a prime moment to tend to the next generation of your garden's bounty. If you took cuttings from resilient perennial vegetables like Daubenton's kale in the autumn, they may now be ready for their next stage of growth. Consider potting them up into larger containers, granting them more space to spread their roots and thrive.

This principle also extends to the plants you may have ordered online. These newcomers to your garden can benefit greatly from a move to roomier accommodations. Potting them into larger containers and allowing them to bask in the shelter of a cold greenhouse until the weather takes a turn for the better is a wise strategy. Once the conditions are more favourable, these potted perennials will burst forth with vigour, ready to establish themselves in your garden and become a cherished part of your perennial harvest for years to come.