Witch-hazels are among the most enchanting and colourful of winter-flowering shrubs. They tolerate shade well and look stunning against a dark background. The spidery, fragrant flowers are usually yellow, although there are varieties with reddish or orange flowers. Also fragrant are some of the fine deciduous viburnums such as V. x bodnantense, whose pink flowers are produced throughout winter. Viburnum tinus is evergreen and reliably produces clusters of pinkish-white flowers from November through to spring. For sunshine-yellow flowers, look to Mahonia lomariifolia and the hybrid M. x media ‘Charity’. The large flower heads and bold, rather spiny, evergreen foliage, often tinged with red, make them eye-catching.

Frost sprinkles a special magic over evergreens, and the garden can often look especially beautiful on a crisp, cold day.

Use walls wisely
Walls offer protection and shelter to shrubs such as the silk-tassel bush, Garrya elliptica, with its long pendant catkins of silvery grey and glossy evergreen foliage. Winter jasmine, Jasminium nudiflorum, has lax green stems which are smothered with yellow flowers in winter. It will need tying in, but can also be supported by other plants such as pyracanthus.

Pyracanthus also have beauty at this time of year, with evergreen foliage and persistent red, orange or even yellow berries. This paragon among wall shrubs tolerates hard pruning and can be trained close to house walls. Japanese quinces (Chaenomeles), are also ideal for growing near walls. They lose their leaves in winter but will usually flower in February, or even January in mild areas.

There are some climbers which you can plant to brighten winter days. The most reliable are the tough ivies, which carry berries in winter. Look for ones with variegated foliage. A few take on richer tints in winter. Clematis cirrhosa is evergreen and produces clusters of dainty, pale yellow flowers. Position it on a south or south-west facing wall.

The Christmas rose (Helleboros niger) braves the worst of the weather and produces stunning white flowers in the depths of winter.

On the ground
Prostrate Cotoneaster dammeri provides pleasant green ground cover. Later in the year it will be smothered with bee-attracting flowers followed by berries. For something brighter, try a variegated euonymus such as Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’ or the winter-flowering heather, Erica carnea, and its many varieties. Unlike most heathers, Erica carnea tolerates alkaline soil. Smothered in bloom from November to May, varieties come with flowers of white and all shades of pink. There are others with handsome bronze-tinted or golden foliage that will further enrich the winter garden.

Bulbs are obvious candidates for winter colour and snowdrops are the earliest to flower. Following on in February come the cheery yellow winter aconites and the first of the crocuses, including Crocus tommasinianus. Like all crocuses, it flowers best in sun, so choose an open or very lightly shaded position.

No discussion of winter flowers would be complete without mentioning the hellebores. Earliest to flower is the white Christmas rose, Helleborus niger, but only slightly later comes the Lenten rose, H. orientalis. Its flowers come in a fascinating range of colours: from creams and greens to pinks and purples. Hellebores delight in shady, moist, woodland conditions and are best left to flourish undisturbed.

Snowdrops are one of the most welcome sights this month though in severe winters or cold areas they may not flower until later. They continue flowering until early spring.

Colourful bark
After leaf fall the stems and bark of a number of woody plants come into their own. Silver birch stems are well known, but look to the maples for richer colours. The snake-bark maples and the peeling, reddish-brown bark of Acer griseum can be best appreciated once the foliage has gone. Arbutus are evergreen but their cinnamon-coloured bark and elegant form make them striking in winter.

Trees with colourful bark, like Arbutus x andrachnoides with a peeling, reddish-brown trunk, are especially appreciated in winter when they can become a focal point.

The bright bark colour of some shrubs can be encouraged by coppicing or hard annual pruning in spring. The red-stemmed dogwoods are the most popular and look particularly good if planted in combination with the yellowish-green stems of another dogwood, Cornus stolonifera ‘Flaviramea’. The willow Salix alba vitellina ‘Britzensis’ has orange stems and can be coppiced in a similar way.

Hollies are at their best in winter, and in most years the berries on female plants should still be in good condition in January; in hard winters the birds may strip them early.

In practice, each year is different and you should be guided by the soil temperature. Use a soil thermometer to check the temperature of the soil in the morning. Push the thermometer 5-10 cm (2 4 in) down into the soil. Once the temperature remains above 7°C (45°F) for a week you can start to sow the early vegetables in prepared seed beds.

Wait until the soil is dry enough to be workable then prepare a seed bed using a garden fork to dig the soil. Break down any large clods of soil remaining from the winter and rake the surface thoroughly to level it, picking out any stones, weeds or other debris as you go along. The finished seed bed should be flat with a fine, crumbly surface.

Beans

Broad beans are very easy to grow and are one of the earliest vegetables to crop. Sow individual seeds in small pots in a cold frame or greenhouse. These will produce seedlings ready to be planted out in March by which time the soil should be warm and workable. Check on broad beans sown under cloches the previous November.

Brassicas

Cut spring cabbages such as spring greens, taking alternate plants along the row. The plants that are left will produce a good heart by late spring.
It is possible to get a second crop from spring cabbages. Make a cross-cut in the stump after you have cut the head. Hoe in Vitax Q4 fertiliser around the plant and water well.  After a month or two there should be four mini-cabbages on top of the stump, which you can harvest for additional spring greens.

Carrots

In mild areas, if the soil is workable, make a first sowing of a quick-growing variety of carrot such as ‘Early Nantes’. Sow carrots thinly in rows 15 cm (6 in) apart, aiming for a seed every 2.5 cm (1 in). Sowing thinly minimises the need for thinning out later on. Repeat sowing at fortnightly intervals will provide a succession of crops through the year.

Celeriac tastes like celery but is easier to grow. Start seeds off in pots under glass in a heated greenhouse from late February to mid March. Do not cover the seeds with compost. They need a minimum temperature of 15°C (60°F) to germinate.

Peas

Sow early peas, such as ‘Kelvedon Wonder’ or ‘Early Onward’, about 2.5 cm (1 in) deep and 5 cm (2 in) apart in single rows. Allow 60 cm (2 ft) between rows. You can overcome cold, wet soils by starting off early peas in sections of plastic guttering. When the peas have germinated slide the entire contents of the guttering into shallow trenches.
For extra-early peas, sow an early variety in a length of 1 plastic guttering filled with compost. Sow the seeds and keep in a greenhouse or frame to germinate.  When the peas are a few centimetres tall, cut out a shallow trench in the soil and slide the peas out of the guttering, into the trench. Cover with a cloche if necessary.

Potatoes

For a very early crop, early varieties can be planted from late February onwards in mild areas if you are prepared to protect them from late frosts.

Salad crops

Sow a quick-growing lettuce such as ‘Little Gem’ in rows 15 cm (6 in) apart. Sow seed thinly, 1-2 cm (½-¾ in) deep and thin the plants out to their final spacing of 20 cm (8 in) after the first true leaves have appeared.

Sow radishes and spring onions thinly in shallow drills, 1-2 cm (½-¾ in) deep and 10-15 cm (4-6 in) apart for early crops.

Asparagus

Asparagus produces separate male and female plants. Males are preferable, because although the female plants give bigger spears they also produce self-sown asparagus. The newer ‘all-male’ varieties are worth trying but have to be ordered from a specialist grower. Buy one-year-old crowns, which establish more quickly than two or three-year-old crowns. Allow them plenty of space.

Globe artichokes

Globe artichokes are an attractive perennial vegetable but they do take up a lot of room in the garden. They need a sunny, sheltered site and, as they make handsome plants, could be planted among flowering perennials in a border. They are often grown in company with other grey and silver-leaved plants.

Sow the seed in pots under glass and keep at 10-15°C (50-60°F).

Jerusalem artichokes

This perennial vegetable can reach 2 m (6 ft), but is worth trying if you have an area of poor soil that is partly shaded. If the soil is workable, tubers can be planted between February and April. Plant them 10-15 cm (4-6 in) deep, 30 cm (12 in) apart.

Continue to plant new trees and shrubs into well-prepared soil when the weather is favourable.  Add Vitax Q4+ to the planting hole to give the new planting th best possible start. Mulch, stake and tie those that require it.

Controlling pests and diseases

If necessary, spray with a tar oil winter wash to remove lichen, moss and overwintering eggs or spores of pests and diseases from established ornamental trees and large shrubs. Only spray if the problem is serious, as the wash will also kill the eggs and larvae of beneficial insects.

Cover the area below shrubs and trees being sprayed with a large piece of plastic sheeting or with old newspapers to prevent the wash from contaminating the soil or damaging any underplanting. Protect your clothes and eyes when spraying and apply the wash following the manufacturers instructions.

Replanting suckers

Some shrubs, such as the coloured-bark dogwoods (Cornus alba and C. stolonifera varieties), Kerria japonica, Rhus typhina and a number of trees, produce suckers from the base of the plant or along the roots. These can be removed and planted up in pots or a nursery bed as new plants.

After replanting, reduce the length of any sideshoots on the suckers from shrubs by at least 50 per cent; this will encourage a bushy habit. However, shoots from trees are not normally reduced, and are allowed to grow away freely.

Taking hardwood cuttings

Continue to take hardwood cuttings in mild weather.

Propagating from seed

The seeds of many ornamental shrubs, including those seeds that have a dry nature or have been stratified to remove their fleshy outer coat, can be sown now. Germinate in a heated propagator at 13-18°C (55-65°F) and pot on into suitable sized pots when the seedlings are large enough to handle. The seeds of many shrubs are slow to germinate and develop, so may not reach the potting-on stage for many months.

Pruning

Use the one-third method, to prune all shrubs, such as winter-flowering viburnums, which have just finished flowering.

Remove the end foliage rosettes on young, tallgrowing mahonias, such as Mahonia japonica and M. ‘Charity’, when they have finished flowering. This will encourage branching.

HEDGES

Continue to plant both bare-root and container grown hedging plants, but delay planting evergreens until next month.

Clear weeds and rubbish from around the base of established hedges. Cut back and reshape overgrown deciduous hedges.

If the weather is still very cold, or the ground is frozen, it is not worth buying or planting shrubs that are of borderline hardiness; let the nursery or garden centre bear the winter losses. Buy in March or April when the worst of the weather is over and you can ensure that new growth is alive before making a purchase.

Protect plants, especially tender ones, from extremes of temperature and moisture, and continue to provide as much light as possible during the day.

Watering and feeding

Water sparingly, letting the compost dry out slightly, until new growth begins. Plants kept in a centrally heated room may continue to grow slowly, so these should be watered more frequently. Take care not to overwater plants kept in a cool room as this will cause the roots to rot and the plant will die. Only feed plants that are growing strongly or in flower.

Maintaining healthy foliage

Remove dead leaves as soon as they fall to prevent grey mould (botrytis) from attacking the plants.

Use Vitax Leaf Wipes on upper leaf surfaces of glossy-leaved plants (but follow the manufacturer’s instructions as some plants are not suited to this treatment) or just use water. Clean hairy-leaved plants with a soft, dry brush.

Remove dead or discoloured fronds from ferns. Cut old fronds from maidenhair ferns (Adiantum spp.) to allow new growth. Repot ferns with cramped roots into larger pots, using a good potting compost such as Vitax Tub and Hanging Basket Compost.. To increase stock, remove vigorous portions of crowns from the outside of old ferns and pot up the divisions separately into 8 cm (3 in) pots.

Dust on house plants can reduce the amount of light the leaves receive, and cause them to lose their sparkle. Use Vitax Leaf Wipes or a moist cloth to remove dust from glossy-leaved plants.

Flowering plants

Carefully remove any discoloured or dead flowers or dead buds from azaleas. Indoor azaleas in flower should be kept in humid conditions.

Buy clivias in bud this month: they are easy plants to grow and spectacular when in flower.

Continue to sow seeds of streptocarpus and gloxinias in pots in a propagator. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into seed trays filled with soilless potting compost and keep them at a temperature above 1 3°C (55°F).

Indoor bulbs and corms

Start an early batch of achimenes into growth by placing the scaly rhizomes in shallow trays of moist peat, maintaining a temperature of 13 – 15°2C (55-60°F). When the shoots are about 2.5 cm (1 in) high, pot into 13 cm (5 in) pots containing soilless potting compost.

Continue to keep hippeastrums moist and feed occasionally. Restart growth of overwintering gloriosas by keeping them warm and watering sparingly.

Continue to keep pots of lachenalias and cyclamen cool and just moist, to prolong flowering. Remove faded flowers from cyclamen and pull yellowing leaves gently from the base, taking care not to cut the leaf stalks, which can lead to rotting.

Remember to bring in pots of forced bulbs for indoor flowering. Water, deadhead and feed all bulbs to rebuild their strength before planting out.

Pruning passion flowers and plumbagos

The passion flower is a vigorous climber and should not be confined to the hoops provided when the plant is purchased. Train it against a conservatory wall. Prune it down to within two buds of where last year s growth started.

Plumbago is best tied to a support such as a trellis fixed against a conservatory wall. Shorten shoots by at least two thirds in early spring. If space is restricted, prune back to within one or two buds of last summer’s growth.

Flowering climbers

Give bougainvilleas their first watering. Tie in spreading growth to a trellis fan inserted into the compost. Keep bougainvilleas in pots, as they can become invasive if they are planted in a border under glass without any root restriction.

Prune plumbagos and passion flowers to within one or two buds of last summer’s growth, water sparingly and ventilate well on mild days.

Bromeliads

Keep in bright light, and maintain a minimum temperature of 15°C (60°F).

Mist air plants once or twice a week with a handheld mister, but do not make them too wet.

Cacti and other succulents

Continue to keep them cool during their resting period.

Orchids

Water regularly so that the compost, which is very open and free draining, is moist but not soaking wet. Immerse the container in water for a few minutes, then allow it to drain well. Repeat this about once a week – more often in the growing season, less often when the plants are resting.

Easy-to-grow orchids such as Cambrian hybrids (in flower between now and summer), cymbidiums and moth orchids (Phalacnopsis) will provide a succession of blooms over several months. These orchids need plenty of indirect light and to be kept at a temperature of 1 0-20°C (50-70°F). Cymbidiums can be kept a little cooler but most indoor orchids thrive in a warm, humid kitchen or, better still, a bathroom.

Move dormant fuchsias, heliotropes, hydrangeas and other pot plants on to the greenhouse staging. A warm spot where a temperature of 10°C (50°F) can be maintained is ideal. Spray the plants with water on sunny days, and give them increasing amounts of water as growth becomes active. Remove dead and discoloured foliage.

Start dahlia tubers into growth and pot up lilies.

Potting on

Check young plants and rooted cuttings regularly and pot them on into larger pots as soon as their roots fill the pot they are in.

Sowing

Use seed trays and a heated propagator to sow seeds of greenhouse plants such as coleus, gloxinias, tuberous and fibrous begonias. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into pots or trays filled with soilless potting compost and grow them on in warmth.

Also sow early vegetables, shrubs, perpetual carnations, annual climbers, parsley and other half-hardy annuals.

Tomatoes

To raise tomatoes in a cool greenhouse, sow the seeds this month at a temperature of 1 5-20° (60-70°F).

Vines

It is essential that vines are properly chilled in winter, so keep the greenhouse well ventilated until growth starts. Once growing, a vine needs as much light and heat as possible, so reduce the ventilation. Apply a coat of white paint on the wall of a lean to greenhouse to increase the intensity of the light.

In a mild spring, some deciduous trees and shrubs will already have started into growth. New shoots are particularly vulnerable to frost and wind damage so keep the containers in a sheltered spot.

Severe conditions in February can take their toll of winter and spring bedding plants in containers. Whenever possible, move the containers under glass or to a more sheltered spot, close to the house walls for example, when hard frost is forecast.

Maintaining a winter display

Check plants regularly, removing faded flowers and foliage. If plants are badly damaged or die off, replace them – garden centres will have plenty of suitable plants. Look for pots of dwarf, early-flowering bulbs such as scillas and daffodils. Pansies and other bedding plants often have a break from flowering at this time of year, but don’t discard them; they will shoot back into growth next month.

Pruning shrubs

By the end of February, most deciduous shrubs and trees should be starting to bud which makes it easy to distinguish living from dead wood. This is a good time to carry out any necessary pruning jobs, but never prune without checking on the appropriate treatment for a particular plant or you risk pruning out this year’s flowers. The aim is to produce a natural and attractive shape, in proportion to the size of the container, and to keep the plant healthy and free-flowering.

In cold areas leave hard pruning until next month as pruning stimulates growth and any resulting young leaves may be damaged by frost.