Gardening jobs this month: February

From House Beautiful's gardening expert Denise Brock

■ Look forward to the summer months by browsing through the new seed catalogues from the warmth of your armchair.
■ As your snowdrops begin to fade, lift the plants. Replant single bulbs a few centimetres apart so you have a larger, less congested display next year. See snowdrop displays
■ Protect shrubs from snow damage by shaking it off the plants and shoring them up with soil around the stems.
■ Choose a warmer day to hoe beds, to clear any weeds and break up the soil’s surface.
■ Have a go at sowing annual seeds such as pansies, antirrhinum and impatiens in a greenhouse or on a windowsill. Viola ‘Allspice Mixed' is very fragrant. How to grow plants from seed.
■ Prune your roses. Be brave: roses are hardy and can withstand a good haircut! Cut stems back by half to two-thirds. Climbers should be cut back to a framework and stems that have flowered cut out from ramblers. This should give you better blooms and tidier bushes. Enjoy our celebration of roses
■ Take care of indoor plants. If you notice the roots are beginning to come through the base, repot the plant in a slightly larger planter for a fresh new look. If not, just top up the container with compost to refresh it. Stylishly simple houseplants

From Country Living gardening editor Stephanie Donaldson

■ Start dahlia tubers into growth in the greenhouse
■ Prune weak growth from early summer-flowering clematis and cut late-flowering clematis back to 15-30cm from the ground
■ Cut back old stems in herbaceous borders
■ Check plant supports and do any repairs before plants start growing.
■ Stake borders with pea sticks - they are more flexible while sap is still rising
■ Prune late summer flowering shrubs, such as buddlejas.
■ Do the final pruning of wisteria, cutting back laterals and side shoots to within two or three buds of the main stem. Wear gloves and protect your face - there are thorn-like protrusions on the new growth.
■ The brightly coloured stems of salix and cornus should be cut back to between 5-15cm from the ground to ensure more colourful stems next year.
■ Plant hardy climbers 50cm away from the wall if soil is not waterlogged.
■ In dry weather, plant lily bulbs in well-drained soil enriched with rotted organic matter, in a sunny spot ideally shaded by plants such as rosemary or lavender. If lily beetle is a problem in your area, plant bulbs in pots and keep them undercover.
■ Take root cuttings of eryngiums, oriental poppies, phlox, Japanese anemones and acanthus. Take cuttings from young, thick roots, trim into 5-10cm lengths, pot up with lower end facing down.
■ The first February after planting, all types of clematis should be pruned back to the lowest one or two buds on each stem. This will encourage the young plant to produce plenty of bushy growth.
■ Cut back ivy on walls before birds start nesting. Be ruthless - it will look better for a hard pruning.
■ Dig in over-wintered green manures ready for sowing and planting

■ Lime acid soil in readiness for planting brassicas in April or May to curb club root
■ Direct sow peas and broad beans under fleece towards the end of the month. Read more on how to sow peas
■ Lime soil where brassicas are to be planted
■ Clear and mulch round the base of fruit trees
■ Sprout potato tubers by setting them out in egg boxes in a cool but frost-free position in good light. Plant out at Easter.
■ Put cloches over strawberries to encourage early fruiting. Ventilate on warm, sunny days to allow insects to pollinate the flowers.
■ Cut autumn-fruiting raspberries back to ground level.
■ Tuck straw around rhubarb crowns and cover with a forcing jar for early stems.
■ In fine weather continue to dig over the vegetable garden, adding compost or manure where required.
■ Sow cauliflower and summer cabbage seeds.
■ Pruning of apples, pears, currants and gooseberries should be completed by the end of February. Cut away and burn all dead, damaged and diseased wood.
■ Sow parsley in mild weather. Read more on how to sow parsley