Time to start thinking ahead

February gardening offers us a little leeway in terms of catching up outdoors just before propagation gets under way for the new growing season.

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By the end of this month our one luxury in the otherwise cold greenhouse, a home-constructed propagating box with soil-warming cable, is officially switched on giving rise to an assortment of vegetable, herb, and ornamental, seed sowings and cuttings.

'Replacement of winter cherry' remains outstanding on my jobs to do list, and it relates to a super tree that had flowered from October to April for three plus decades without fail.