Gardening tips for February: Propagate dahlias
Dahlias are a chunky plant which takes well to propagation on a late winter’s day in a frost-free greenhouse

The dahlia is an unfailingly chunky plant in every aspect of its physique, which makes it an ideal object for the cold-handed propagator on a late winter's day. In a frost-free greenhouse, remove the stored tubers from their winter box of insulation. Clean the tubers off, make up trays of free-draining compost and either divide the tubers with secateurs or, if you prefer, set the plants up in the compost in a bright spot, label, water and wait for the shiny green shoots to arise, when they can be removed at the base and used as softwood cuttings.
to Country Life and save over £50 a year
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
-
The BBC and the contender for the greatest April Fool's prank ever played
As April 1 looms, Martin Fone tells the tale of one of the finest stunts ever pulled off.
By Martin Fone Published
-
How to disconnect from reality and feel like a new person in under 72 hours
Our round-up of the best British retreats that work wellness wonders in under 72 hours.
By Jennifer George Published