Plants are coming out of their dormancy. It’s important to prune all the weak and dead branches. Prune above the node for fresh growth. Jasmine, Musanda, Fig, Ficus, Tichoma, Allamanda, Hibiscus, Nicodea, Coleus, Aclifa, Duranta, Buddleja, Plumbago, Oleander are all starting to wake up from their winter dormancy and can be pruned. Plants which have been lying under protected cover in the winter can be moved out in areas of some sun. By mid February one can turn the soil and add organic farmyard manure, neemkhali and bonemeal . One can also plant cuttings , prune, relocate plants and start to do most of the jobs one would do in the monsoon. Spray NPK 20:20:20 once a week. Take out as much as you can in a pinch, between your thumb and index finger, and add 1 litre of water. Water regularly and look out for pests and diseases. Turn the soil of the plants at least once in two weeks. Add any organic manure and water.

Manure and water all fruit trees, Flowering creepers and grape vines. 10 kgs of FISH REMAINS, bought from the fish market at the end of the day, go a long way in sweetening any fruit. You will have to send an empty bucket to bring it home. Our jackfruit tree which hadn't fruited for 10 years had fantastic results after we gave it fish remains. Dig a trench 18'' deep around the tree, add the fish remains evenly around it, and then water thoroughly.

Keep these under cover at night and protect from the frost. The key to keeping your indoor garden jungle and oxygen bombs healthy is to maintain a more or less constant room temperature. Give liquid manure to all your indoor plants.

Roses:Roses are in full bloom. Enjoy them but be sure to cut away the wilted ones. Kashmiri Gulab is my favourite. It keeps flowering almost 9 months of the year with out any fuss, and the fragrance is heavenly.

Dahlias:Dahlias are in full bloom. Take time out to enjoy each now flower that blooms, the different colours and the bees and butterflies that come for the pollen. Do cut away the faded flowers on a daily basis.Important tocut from below, so that one doesn’t see the beheaded stems.

Chrysanthemum: new suckers start sprouting. If not sporting then feed the plant with neem khali and bonemeal and spray npk to encourage new growth. Remove the suckers and plant in small 4’’ to 6’’ pots. Keep in the shade.

Winter bulbs will be in full bloom. When bulbs are first planted they need less water because they have their own storehouse of water. But once these start flowering then watering when the soil turns dry is essential. Rananculous or butter rose, Lilliums are in full bloom. Move these into semi shaded areas so the flowers last longer.
For the summer Please grow Caladium and Cana. Easter lilies too are hardy and the leaves look fresh all the way up to winter. For a garden, one can mix-and-match of spider lilies and zephyr lilies (also called rain lilies for their spectacular show of flowers during the rains), ginger lilies, elephant’s ears, bird of paradise and canna. Football lily, amaryllis, and tuberose can alos be grown... Whether growing in a ground garden or pots, abundance works from the aesthetic point of view. It is ideal to grow a few or more bulbs together; it puts on a much more pleasing spectacle than lone warriors growing out of the soil. Less marks and injuries, big size and more weight is the key. An injured bulb has more chances of rotting in the soil, while a big size indicates a mature bulb and ensures more flowers.

Bittergourd, Bottle gourd, Cucumber, French Beans, Okra, Sponge Gourd, Watermelon seeds can be sown. Spinach and Coriander can be grown.

Winter Flowers have started to bloom. Regular watering and deweeding has to be done. Deadheading is extremely important. Remove dead leaves and wilting flowers from the plants, as nothing looks worse than wilting flowers on a plant. Apart from aesthetics, the energy can get utilised for new blooms.

Time to sow seeds for the summer flowers: Since I am a big fan of flowers that grow easily and last the longest, please grow Sada Bahar and portulaca. Can also sow Cosmos, Gallardia. Gompherna. Kochia. Zinnia.

Move Parsley, Celery and Rocket in a shaded area for these to last longer. The only herbs that do well in the Delhi summer are varieties of Basil, Tulsi ( which is also called Holy Basil), Lemon grass, Sage, Mint, Chives and Rosemary. Its best to grow Tulsi and Basil in big open mouth pots. So the seeds fall in the soil and sprout in the monsoon. You will never be short of any.

A great time to take care of any bald patches or to plant new grass. If you have bald patches, loosen
the soil, and take some grass roots out of the overgrown edges of the lawn. Plant it with a 2’ gap and
watch the bald patch fill out in no time. Feed it with neemkhali and bonemeal and/or finely crushed
Okhla khaad or Sieved patti khaad. Water regularly.

A great time to multiply succulents. Divide by root or by cuttings, these will all grow. The sun is getting warm so water once a week. Please water from below and not from the top of the succulents as it leads to rot.