ACCORDING to the latest surveys, more children than ever are taking an interest in gardening - and that’s great news for those of us who want to keep our wonderful hobby alive and well for future generations.

It seems the Covid lockdown had a lot to do with it - youngsters cooped up at home were persuaded to give a hand with gardening and found to their surprise that they actually enjoyed it. Being allowed to get mucky without being shouted at probably had a lot to do with it but whatever the reason the result was learning and appreciating nature while having fun.

This month is the ideal time to plan your 2022 gardening programme and to include ways of getting your kids involved in what could well become a lifelong pastime by capturing their interest with a range of brightly-coloured flowers, scented plants and tasty quick-growing vegetables grown in their own little plots.

You’ll have to accept that the junior garden will probably look a bit scruffy compared with the rest of your plot. Also be prepared for the fact that junior growers will probably have a limited attention span and might not remain totally absorbed for more than a few minutes at a time!

Asking lots of questions can make them feel they they’re actively involved.

It’s a good idea to keep things simple and have other gardening-related activities up your sleeve to extend children’s interest such as making plant labels, looking for creepy-crawlies or even building a mini compost heap.

Planting in the garden is a great way to stimulate a child’s senses of touch, sight, sound, taste and smell and sensory plants can be particularly beneficial to children with special needs and sensory impairments

A great way to get started is to plant quick-sprouting seeds so that impatient youngsters can see the results of their work without too much waiting around. For instance, sunflower seeds provide quick and easy results. So do marigolds and poppies.

Quick and tasty edible plants include Swiss chard, raddish, lettuce, and cress. The next step can be to move on to plants which need a bit more care, such as basil and mint and tomatoes.

If you are short of garden space for your children, container displays are a good alternative - get the kids to choose seasonal plants from the garden centre and provide a colourful pot for the display.

Explain about the responsibilities of keeping the plants fed and watered - watering can be a winner if you provide a large recycled mineral water bottle with small holes punched in the lid.

Allow a few plants to go to seed so that youngsters can have fun spotting them in the garden and collecting them for sowing next year. Get them to design and make paper seed packets.

Let the kids get muddy - put them in old clothes and relax. Teach them the importance of worms in the garden and show them how to handle them carefully.

Don’t expect kids to become devoted gardeners overnight, but who knows, in the fullness of time, you could be relaxing with a coffee in front of the TV while the next generation does the heavy digging!

JUST THE JOB

What to do in West Somerset gardens in February.

This can be a gloomy month, but there should be bright spots on the garden when crocus, snowdrops and muscari come into flower and the bright green shoots of daffodils start to show.

Remember that even in our part of the world there’s still time for bitter winter weather so resist the temptation to remove plant protection just because the sun is shining.

IN THE FLOWER GARDEN

Prune winter-flowering shrubs like mahonia when their flowering has finished and trim winter-flowering heathers. Take faded flowers from winter pansies to encourage a flush of new flowers.

Move any trees or shrubs which need repositioning and lift and divide snowdrops.

Divide large clumps of your perennial favourites using the back-to-back fork technique. Discard the old middle of the clump and replant the outer, younger portions. Treat them to a scattering of bone meal and a few hands full of compost.

It’s a good time to have a good clean-up in the herbaceous beds and borders. Root out persistent perennial weeds. It’s the only way to get rid of couch grass, ground elder and other undesirables.

IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN

Raised beds will allow you to make an early start if the weather is favourable. They drain quickly and warm up faster and are a great way to deal with our sticky clay soil.

Prepare vegetable seed beds by removing weeds and forking in plenty of compost. Cover prepared soil with sheets of black plastic to prepare it for spring planting.

An alternative is to use cloches and keep them in place until the seedlings outgrow them, but make sure they have enough water and are protected against slugs.

Remove yellowing leaves from brassicas to prevent the spread of mildew and grey mould.

Place early potato varieties on end to sprout eyes uppermost in egg boxes or fruit trays. Keep them in a cool frost-free shed to ensure a flying start when you plant out the tubers.

IN THE FRUIT GARDEN

Prune gooseberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants and mulch fruit trees with well-rotted manure or garden compost. Winter prune apple and pear trees while they are still dormant.

A good time for planting new trees and bushes if the conditions are suitable. When planting trees, position stakes firmly in the hole before setting the tree in place to avoid root damage.

Raspberry canes should be cut back to within 15 cm of the ground after planting.

IN THE GREENHOUSE

You can plant broad beans this month and they should be fine sturdy plants by the end of March. If planted out then they will, with a bit of luck, beat the blackfly and avoid the inevitable winter losses of an outdoor autumn sowing.

Philip Greenfield