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In the garden: February



1. TURN UP THE COLOUR Zinnias love the heat! These abundant plants flower from January to April. Avoid buying seedlings as they are best grown from seed, sown direct into a well-prepared sunny garden bed. Cut flowers regularly to enjoy indoors.

2. BRING ON THE FLORALS Agastache, helenium, rudbeckia, Easter daisy (perennial aster), Shasta Daisy, and Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ flower in late summer and autumn. They push through after spring bulbs to disguise their spent foliage.

3. ENJOY THE BLOOMS Dahlias are in full flower now. They prefer morning sun and afternoon shade. Some growers erect 50% white sails to prevent sun bleach. Regular watering is essential in summer. Water beneath the leaves and tie new growth to the stake every week or so. Feed your dahlias with a high potash fertiliser every fortnight to encourage more flowers. Dahlia tubers are sold by specialty dahlia growers from August to November. Check out www.redearthbulbs.com

4. GROW YOUR VEG Plant a crop of dwarf beans that will germinate quickly in summer’s heat and will keep producing for months. Sow seed now for winter vegetables: broccoli ‘Purple Sprouting’, cauliflower, cabbage (we like the large purple cultivars), kale, mustard, chicory, lettuce, Asian greens (wombok, bok choy, choy sum), mizuna, rocket, leek, spring onion, celery, Florence fennel, carrot, parsnip, turnip, radish, beetroot, silverbeet and coriander. This will give you a great start to the cool veg season.

TYLER HOWARD’S TIP
Don't be afraid to cut flowers to enjoy inside— they'll last longer too! While cutting, watch for budworm, a common dahlia pest, and treat if spotted.