Dig in and give your garden some welly.

ALTHOUGH our gardens have seemed pretty dormant during recent months, much is happening underground!

Already, we have been treated to the pure little white heads of snowdrops in our gardens, and with them the promise of spring.

Crocuses and other favourite bulbs, along with some of the earliest flowering cherries, are already stirring into life, and as the days begin to lengthen and the light returns, our spirits lift in unison.

Whether you love gardening for the sheer pleasure of watching plants grow, or if you simply want a low-maintenance exterior that looks tidy, there are jobs to be done all year round - and that includes the month of February.

Now is the time to dig up, divide and re-plant perennial plants that have been hitherto been left in peace to establish themselves for a few years.

Tasks like these will encourage healthy growth, encouraging them to produce not only more impressive blooms, but also in greater numbers.

You can also propagate shrubs and perennials by taking hardwood or root cuttings.

Make sure your seed trays and pots are ready for expert propagation by preparing them for the job.

Ensure containers are disease-free by dipping them in a bowl of detergent and bleach, letting them dry naturally, then stacking them.

At the same time, check your electric propagators are clean, dry, and in good working order.

Cannot wait to get going?

Then varieties grateful for an early start include geraniums, petunias, Busy Lizzies and nicotianas.

Perhaps you are harbouring the idea of planting a new hedge, more shrubs or even a tree or two.

If so, then between now and the end of March is the time to get to work.

However, do not be tempted to use last year's compost' it will now be home to all manner of undesirables. Buy fresh instead.

If your roses have definitely seen better days, and are sporting a distinctly straggly appearance, now is the time to pull them out and replace them with promising new ones.

Getting them bedded into the relatively warm soil now, will stand their roots in good stead for the less friendly, colder times ahead.

Talking of colder forecasts: now is the time to move container shrubs into an unheated greenhouse.

Your efforts will protect their vulnerable roots from dehydration and frost death.

Although the grass will not need cutting yet, your lawn still needs your attention in February.

Scarify it to get rid of any dead grass, unwanted debris or moss (don't throw the moss on the compost heap, though).

Tidy your floral borders, too. Removing weeds and debris that shelter slugs and snails will give tender young shoots of newly-emerging plants their best chance.

Mulching will help prevent further weed growth, keep the moisture in, and make your beds look neater.

CAPTION(S):

Your hard work now will make sure your garden is blooming again later this year' Now is the time to start tidying up your garden area ready for warmer weather