10 garden highlights in February

February is a month that I start feeling really hopeful as a gardener. The birds are getting ‘lively’ with each other and starting to collect anything they can get their beaks on for nesting material.

Evenings are lighter for longer and then there are the flowers that are starting to make an appearance. Here are my 10 favourites in February that suit gardens large and small.

Winter iris

These cheery little bulbs produce flowers that are not only bright and impactful but - humour me here - also mathematically-minded too. The petals all tend to grow according to the number 3. They remind me a bit of the Mercedes car insignia. They’re stylish and truly herald the on-coming spring. Height 12-15cm (5-6in)

Winter aconite

Hardy winter aconites brighten up even the dullest of February days. They look best in big groups lighting up patches in the garden with their canary-yellow big buds that open out from a collar of little green leaves. They’re reminiscent of summer buttercups but I feel they’re more punchy and visually-effective. Height 8cm (3in)

Snowdrops

Snowdrops are truly the champions of the flower world in late winter. They’re much-loved and hugely popular. So much so that fans of snowdrops even have their own name - the galanthophiles. In big groups they look effective under big trees, in shady parts of the garden and running by garden paths. Height 15cm (6in)

Lenten roses - Helleborus x hybridus

The beautiful rose-like flowers of hellebores bring flower beds to life after a long winter. They range colour from pinks to greens to whites. Be sure to look at them close up- you’ll notice many have petals with intricate freckles and markings. Snip off some of the surrounding palm-like leaves that are old and leathery. This will show off the flowers more and create a big impact.

Height 30cm (12in)

Winter jasmine

The bright yellow flowers of winter jasmine Jasminum nudiflorum will lift your mood in an instant in winter. This loosely climbing shrub is quite non-descript for much of the year but really comes into its own at a time of year when many other garden favourites are asleep, waiting for the summer to arrive. Suits pruning into tidy hedges or left to scramble at the back of flower beds.

Height 1-2m (3-7ft)

Silk tassel bush

Garden tree Garrya elliptica produces the most elegant of catkins in late winter earning it the name of silk-tassel bush. It’s a hardy tree so it thrives in many UK gardens and the leaves are reliably evergreen for year-round interest. It’s a garden tree well worth considering for on-going visual impact, especially in the winter. Height 3.5m (11 ½ ft)

Lungwort

Lungwort Pulmonaria officinalis is a pretty perennial ideal for growing in shady parts of your garden. Bees will love the flowers as much as you will when they start to open up from the end of February. Some flowers come out linen-white while others are varying shades of blue and pink. Whatever the colour they’re sure to brighten up a dark spot in the garden. Height 30cm (12in)

Winter-flowering daphne

Garden shrub Daphne mezereum is fully studded with star-shaped pink flowers in February. They flower on stems not yet in leaf so the bright colour really stands out against the wood. The flowers are fragrant too and you’re sure to catch the scent on a still sunny day in late winter. There’s little need to prune this shrub and it keeps a tidy shape as it grows. Height 1m (3 ½ ft)

Miniature daffodils

Another stalwart of late winter and early spring. Daffodils come in all shapes and sizes but the miniatures tend to come early especially if enjoying a nice sunny south-facing position. I put mine in clumps just outside the door. That way I’m greeted each morning to cheery colour on my way out to a day’s grafting in the garden. Height 25cm (10in)

Winter stems

There are species of dogwood and willow that really stand out in the winter with their bright-coloured bare stems in shades of red, orange, yellow or even lime-green. They’re super hardy and add an almost atmospheric dimension to the garden in February. Every April cut the stems back to the base and dig in some rich compost all around the edge. Over the following summer those stems will grow once again ready for the following winter. Height: 1.5m (5ft)