As this month is still wintery, remember the garden birds, not only are they our allies against various insect pests their song reminds us that spring is just around the corner. By placing bird food and fresh water out, it will deter them from nibbling on those fresh buds!

Late flowering shrubs including Buddleja (Butterfly bush), hardy fuschias and lavetera’s (Mallow) can be pruned back, as long as you leave one or two buds on the stem. These shrubs all flower better on new growth. If you want to increase the size of the shrub, leave a few stems and prune these back lightly.

 Any shrubs that are grown in containers will benefit from ‘top dressing’. Scrape away the top 2.5cm of old compost and place some fresh compost on top to replace. Also incorporate some organic fertilizer; this will keep shrubs well fed through the fast approaching spring and summer months.