Monty Don's full list of vegetables that must be planted in February

February might be one of the UK’s coldest months, but that’s no excuse not to get out in your garden and start planting. TV presenter and expert gardener Monty Don has provided an extensive list of vegetables that gardeners should be sowing in February. Particularly with February not being as cold as it may have been in years gone by, Monty points out that you can see a significant surge in spring flowering bulbs, like tulips and daffodils, and perennials such as dahlias.

Out of these, he urges that hellebores (otherwise known as the Christmas rose) are the best flower to grow in February, with their speckled blooms that range from soft yellow to pink to a deep midnight purple. In his blog, he writes: “Hellebores are the grandest plants of February, but you cannot fail to be charmed by them, especially helleborus orientalis in all its forms, modestly holding their astonishing faces to the ground. My hellebores have bred indiscriminately which does result in rather a lot of muddy, pinky brown flowers but I rather encourage this.



Too much good taste is bad for you.” 'Plant these vegetables in February' Monty also recommends that, if the soil is dry enough, gardeners can prepare for the warmer months ahead by digging the vegetable garden and sowing broad beans and plant onion sets. Broad beans are relatively straightforward to grow and, if planted outside, are best placed somewhere sheltered to protect them from strong wind.

Onion sets are also quite simple to plant so long as they are de-weeded regularly, and are best sown earlier in the season. However, Monty warns plant enthusiasts not to rush planting veg if the soil is still too hard or damp. He says, “the readiness of the soil is much more significant than the date on the calendar.

” If you own a greenhouse or potting shed, February can be a great month to take dahlias out of hibernation or to chit potatoes. Potato chitting involves placing potatoes in a tray or egg carton, removing most of their sprouts, and waiting until the few remaining grow about an inch long before planting them in the ground. This method usually helps to produce a larger and earlier potato crop.

He also suggests those who own pleached lime trees to begin pruning them, which is ideally done in early spring. For anyone who owns fruit bearing trees, like pears or apples, it is also a good time to prune those in order to prepare them for the coming months. Equally, Monty suggests trimming back flower bushes like roses, late-flower clematis and buddleias.

Again, though, he warns gardeners not to be overeager if the conditions aren’t right for planting. “But none of this can be forced,” he writes. “Ice and snow are likely and flooding not uncommon.

” Depending on how mild February is, it can also be a good idea to give the grass its first mow of the year. Normally during winter, this isn’t necessary, as grass grows at a much slower rate. However, as the days lighten and the temperature can begin to thaw, the green shoots quickly start to become unruly once.

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