Plants etc from the garden at the end of February 2026

Another month almost gone, and this regular garden chat is being linked in with others over on Jim's blog. 

The end of February has still some lovely crocuses and the sunshine has been bringing out 'giant' bumblebees.  Watching them delve down into the crocus cups is both a delight tinged with a little suspense as I wonder whether the crocus bloom will right itself.

1. I am very fond of the colour purple...

Crocus tommasianus Ruby Giant

2.

Crocus Shockwave

There is one bulb with a much larger flower, I wonder whether I ought to 'separate' this from the clump to give it a more uniform aspect? I am sure this will be done by end of day.

3. A healthy robust crocus for me is this stripy Crocus vernus Pickwick, which I have had for many years, and is slowly increasing.  It is the last of the crocus to flower.

4. Verbascum phoeniceum violetta has been growing in its original position for over six years, and each year I've thought that it ought to be moved.  It was too far inboard for me to enjoy the lovely form of the flower spikes. I could see there were various good growing sections with roots and they were seperated to give five plants.  Hope they survive this and flower this year.

Verbascum phoeniceum violetta

5. It was only when I noticed how large the clump of  Symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'Purple Dome' was encroaching on surrounding plants that I decided it was time to do something about this and hence the 'shuffling' in the garden. With the soil a little improved its space was baken by the Verbascum.

Divisions ready to be relocated in the garden
or given away

Shuffling was a term my SOS Sis used this week when we were 'chatting' on messenger. It brought a smile to my face, and some encouragement to get out in the garden and do some more gardening. Last autumn I treated myself to a set of three useful plyable handled shallow buckets from a farm shop, I like the pop of colour and I can easily find them compared to the large black one I had.  The large black one went to a friend to use in her large garden!

6. For Gill who is not all that keen on Pulmonarias, this is a lovely one for the garden: Pulmonaria Sissinghurst White.  The bees certainly love it. This is just the first flush of blooms, when trimmed down they will spring back.  I'm going to try to show each flush just to guage it garden worthiness this year.

Bonus picture............seedheads of the Miscanthus nepalensis, which I trimmed down this week.  If any SOSers fancy trying to grow this, contact me and I shall put some in the post for you. Use facebook with my name and send me a message with your name and address. I placed a couple of strands on the soil a cm deep with gritty soil on the top, and I had seedling come up a few weeks later, and this spring have sufficient to start a clump,

It definitely feels as if winter is behind us, spring in on its way!