– Plant some spring bedding plants such as forget-me-nots, geraniums, primroses and violas for a splash of colour.

– Weed vegetable beds thoroughly then mulch with a thick layer of compost. Two weeks before sowing, cover the bed with a layer of polythene or frost fleece to warm up the soil.

– If you are planning to grow cabbages, cauliflowers and/or sprouts and need to make your soil more alkaline, add some garden lime to your soil now so you can plant out in May.

– Add a layer of chicken manure to perennial vegetables such as artichokes, asparagus, horseradish, rhubarb and sorrel.

– Sprinkle sulphate of potash fertiliser around the base of fruit trees and bushes to encourage a good yield.

– For crops in just a few weeks, sow cress or mustard seeds into a seed tray, place on a warm windowsill and watch it grow!

– Cover strawberry plants with a cloche or fleece to encourage them to grow and crop earlier.

– Sow sweet peas into deep pots and place them in a heated greenhouse or sunny windowsill to start them off.

– Chit early potatoes now. Arrange them on a sectioned seed tray with the eyes upwards and place in a light, cold but frost free position for 4 to 6 weeks until they are ready to plant.

– Keep checking growing greenhouse and house plants for pests such as aphids and whitefly. Treat any infested plants with a targeted pest control spray.

– If you have any deciduous shrubs you wish to move, now is the best time to do so whilst they are dormant. If you have any other deciduous hedging, trim them now before birds start nesting.

– February is the ideal time to prune winter blooming shrubs such as buddleia, clematis, cornus, hydrangea, mahonia, climbing and bush roses, wisteria and winter jasmine once they have finished flowering. Now is also a good time to trim back climbers such as ivy or Virginia creeper if they are starting to grow too much.

– If you notice any faded or yellowing leaves on plants or vegetables, remove them as soon as you spot them to prevent any fungal diseases.

– Cover fruit and vegetable plants that have started growing with bird netting to prevent hungry birds from getting the best of the crop.

– Keep feeding the wild garden birds this month to help them out when food is scarce and the weather is cold.

– Check your tender plants are still protected by fleece or bubble insulation in preparation for further frosts, especially if you have had any particularly windy weather lately.

– Check tree ties, canes and other plant supports. Throw away and replace any that are too worn or damaged.

– Get ready for the upcoming growing season and buy fresh compost if you have had your current supply a while, especially if the bag is water logged or the packaging has faded.

– Give your pots, seed trays and other gardening tools a really good clean with disinfectant and a scrubbing brush for any stubborn dirt or old compost to help prevent the spread of diseases. Once clean, rinse well with warm water. Replace any old pots that are damaged.

– Make sure your mowers and garden tools are in good working order for spring by thoroughly cleaning and servicing them this month.