I always look forward to February. At last the days are getting noticeably longer, and the garden really starts to come to life.

Here at Standen, this means the bright purple and yellows of crocus, the first of our daffodils and the almost overpowering scent of winter-flowering honeysuckle and daphnes. On warm days, these are covered in honeybees looking to sustain their hives over the colder months. It really makes one want to get out in the garden and start working.

At this time of year I find it helps to set a deadline; a date by which to finish all the winter leaf clearing, cutting back and general tidying: this enables you to look forward and plan new jobs. At Standen, the garden team are busy with all sorts of tasks; get cracking on some of the following and you’re off to a great start.

If you’ve got a greenhouse, give the glass a good clean, to allow as much light as possible to filter through to new seedlings. There are many seeds that can be started at this time of year, even in an unheated glasshouse. Try sweet peas, snapdragons, marigolds and poppies.

On a propagator or warm windowsill, sow tomatoes and chilli peppers to give them a head start, before planting them out when the warmer weather comes.

It’s not too late to start chitting potatoes (which means sprouting the tuber, leading to a quicker and hopefully larger harvest). Stand potatoes, ‘eyes’ up, in a frost-free place, with plenty of light – I often use egg boxes to support potatoes. This process allows the shoots to develop before you plant them out, traditionally done at Easter.

Here at Standen we also start forcing our rhubarb by covering the crowns of newly emerging plants with a bucket. This encourages tender, early growth, which can be eaten when there is little else available from the garden. In a particularly cold spell, we insulate the bucket with fleece or bubble wrap to protect the stems.

We’re now ready to open our gates for 2013, so come and enjoy some early spring colour this month!

  • Standen, West Hoathly Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 4NE, Tel: 01342 323029, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/standen. House, garden, restaurant and shop open every day from Feb 16 to Dec 24 (weekends only from Nov 9 to 24)