What to Plant in February (and Other Gardening Tasks for This Month)

What can you plant in February?

The main task of the month – usually at the end of February – is the toiletation of all perennial plants and ornamental grasses in flower beds. We work methodically with hand shears, enjoying the physical effort and the light on our faces. If we cut too much, the beds will look a bit "short-cropped," but it's amazing how quickly new growth accelerates in the following weeks.

Just like when we get a haircut.

Potatoes and first sowings

In mid-February we order seed potatoes and leave them to pre-sprout in a cool room, placed in egg cartons or wooden crates, with the "eyes" facing up. Shoots will emerge from these eyes, and when they reach a few centimeters, around mid-March, the potatoes can be planted in the soil. We return every year to trusted varieties:

Bellarosa, an early variety (12–14 weeks to maturity)

Linda, a semi-early variety with good yields and uniform, tasty tubers

Indoors, we can start sowing early seeds such as fragrant peas (which are only ornamental and not edible) or hardy perennials such as carnations or dianthus, which will bloom in the same year if sown early enough. We can place them on the windowsill and move them to an unheated greenhouse as soon as they germinate, if the weather is not too cold.

It's extremely encouraging to see new shoots and know that spring is approaching.

What to plant in February

At the end of February: sow perennials and fragrant peas indoors

In March: first batch of hardy annuals

In April: second batch of annuals

d of April: semi-hardy plants

Biennials (e.g., dianthus and sweet william) are sown in May–June

We sow most seeds in trays or cells (except poppies, marigolds, and nigella, which prefer direct sowing). We must use quality compost; for very small seeds, a finer compost is ideal.

In early spring, almost everything germinates indoors on the windowsill, in a warm room, with propagation lids to maintain humidity. After the seedlings have two sets of leaves, we pot them into 7 cm pots. Hardy annuals can be moved outdoors earlier, while semi-hardy ones need protection until the risk of frost has passed.