It might be cold out there but there's still plenty to see and do in your garden or up the allotment in February. So why not wrap up warm, pull on your wellies and grab some daily exercise?
If the ground's not too hard to dig, now's the time to start preparing those seed beds ready for the spring. Make a start and it won't be long before a robin appears. in search of a worm or two.
Keep your eyes out for other wildlife too. Deer like this muntjac can often be seen even in town centre gardens, especially those with overgrown corners where they can hide up by day. Dawn and dusk are the best times to keep your eyes out for these little characters.
Rhubarb is one of the first plants to get going once the days start getting that little bit longer. For an early crop of sweet, tender stems, cover it with an upturned bin to keep the light out and force the plant.
Now's the time to get your garlic in if you didn't make an autumn planting. Make sure you buy seed garlic, rather than planting cloves from supermarket bulbs. There are dozens of varieties to suit every taste, including elephant garlic like this whopper.
If you've got a greenhouse or a sunny windowsill, you could be looking to get those first seeds in towards the end of the month. Beetroot and courgettes are two reliable early starters, which can go out as soon as the risk of frost is past to provide you with some early pickings.
It's surprising how much rubbish you can accumulate in your garden, so now's a good time for tidy up before the growing season gets under way - and perhaps even a bonfire to warm your hands by.
Even if it's freezing cold and the winds are blowing in from the Arctic when you're out on your plot, remember spring's only just around the corner.
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