Why We’re All Heading Back to the garden This February, plus Monty Don’s sheds

There is a specific feeling that hits every “Sheddie” right around the middle of February. You know the one. You’re standing in the kitchen, mug of tea in hand, looking out at the grey drizzle, and suddenly you spot it: a single snowdrop, or perhaps the green shoot of a daffodil forcing its way through the mud.

Suddenly, the urge to unlock the padlock, oil the hinges, and get back into the shed becomes overwhelming.

It turns out we aren’t the only ones feeling the itch. According to the latest search data, the UK has gone gardening mad this month. If you’ve been furiously Googling what to do with your plot this week, you’re in good company.

The Stats: We Haven’t Been This Keen Since 2021

Let’s look at the numbers, because they are staggering. Search interest in “gardening” has shot up +20% in the past 7 days and a massive +70% in the past 30 days.

But here is the real kicker: search interest in February so far is up +80% compared to the same period last year. In fact, we haven’t seen interest levels this high in February since 2021.

Remember 2021? That was the era of lockdown gardening, where our sheds became our sanctuaries and our vegetable patches became our obsession. It seems that same spirit is back. Whether it’s the mild winter confusing us or just a collective desire to get our hands dirty, the nation is waking up from hibernation early.

The “Boggy” Reality of a British February

While the enthusiasm is high, the reality of the British weather is—as always—keeping us grounded. Quite literally.

One of the breakout searches in the past week has been “boggy garden tips.” If you are reading this from the comfort of a dry shed while your lawn looks like the Somme, you are not alone.

Sheddie’s Tip: If your garden is a bog, stay off the grass! Compacting wet soil does more damage than good. Instead, retreat to the shed. This is the perfect time to clean your tools, sharpen those shears, and plan your drainage. Or, if you’re feeling ambitious, research putting in a new shed base that sits higher off the ground!

The Wildlife Paradox: Sparrows In, Cats Out

The search trends reveal a hilarious conflict at the heart of British gardening. We want nature to visit us—but only the specific nature we invited.

On one hand, “attracting sparrows to garden tips” is a breakout search this week, and two of the top five trending “how to” searches are about bringing in birds and bees. We all want that idyllic scene of a robin perched on the shed roof.

On the other hand, the other two top “how to” searches are “how to keep cats out of garden” and “how to keep squirrels out of garden.”

It seems the modern gardener’s pest control battle plan is complex: invite the sparrows, banish the neighborhood moggy, and wage war on the squirrels raiding the bird feeder.

Sheddie’s Tip: If you want sparrows, dense hedging is key—they love cover. As for the cats? ultrasonic repellers are popular, but nothing beats a motion-activated sprinkler (which, incidentally, is great fun to watch from the shed window).

The Rise of the “Gardening Club”

Perhaps we are all feeling a bit lonely in our allotments. Searches for “gardening club” have risen by +30% in the last month, with “gardening clubs near me” becoming a breakout search.

There is something wonderful about this. Gardening can be a solitary pursuit, just you and the compost heap. but sharing tips, swapping seedlings, and arguing over the best way to grow giant marrows is a joy. If you haven’t joined a local club yet, do it. It’s a great excuse to get out of the house, and usually, there’s tea and cake involved.

The DIY Sheddie: Raised Beds and Winterizing

We love a project, don’t we? The top trending “how to” search in the past 30 days is “how to build a raised garden bed.”

This is music to a Sheddie’s ears. It involves timber, screws, a spirit level, and a weekend of sawing. Raised beds are fantastic for saving your back and improving drainage (see the “boggy garden” point above). Just make sure you treat the timber properly so it doesn’t rot in three years.

Strangely, “how to winterise garden” and “how to winterise sprinklers” are also breakout trends. It seems a bit late in the season, given we are nearly in March! However, with the weather being unpredictable, perhaps people are looking to protect their assets from a late snap freeze. Or maybe, like many of us, they just forgot to do it in November and are panic-Googling now.

The Big Questions (And Our Answers)

The data shows people are asking some big questions this month. Let’s tackle the top ones from a Sheddie’s point of view:

1. “What to do in the garden in February?”
The Google Answer: Prune wisteria, chit potatoes, mulch borders.
The Sheddie Answer: Clean the shed windows. Check the roof felt for winter damage. Sit in the shed with a heater and plan your seed order.

2. “When to start planting a garden?”
The Google Answer: It depends on the frost dates.
The Sheddie Answer: As soon as you can dig a spade into the ground without it making a squelching noise. For now, get your chillies and sweet peas started on the windowsill (or in the potting shed).

3. “Where is Monty Don’s garden?”
The Google Answer: Longmeadow, Herefordshire.

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The Sheddie Answer: It’s the holy grail. But remember, Monty has a team of gardeners. You have a trowel and a bad back. Don’t compare your plot to his; also, Monty has some of the best sheds going.

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4. “What is the best direction for a garden to face?”
The Google Answer: South-facing.
The Sheddie Answer: South is great for sun, but East-facing gets the morning light—perfect for that first cup of coffee in the shed.

5. “What is a good gardening shed?”
Ah, the most important question of all, trending in the top 5 questions of the month!

A good gardening shed isn’t just a box. It’s a workspace.

• Windows: You need light for potting. Look for a “potting shed” style with angled glass.
• Access: Double doors are a game-changer for getting the mower in and out.
• Height: If you can’t stand up straight in it, it’s not a shed, it’s a kennel.
• Vibe: It needs to smell of cedar and possibilities.

The Shopping List

Finally, what are we buying? The trends show we are preparing for the long haul. “Febuary gardening jobs” tops the list, but we are also shopping for:

• “Kids gardening tools“ – Get them started young!
• “Gardening presents for her” – Valentine’s might be over, but Mother’s Day is looming.
• “Gardening boots for women“ – essential for the boggy conditions mentioned earlier.

Conclusion

The data doesn’t lie: The UK is ready to grow. Whether you are looking up “how to start a vegetable garden” or trying to figure out “how to keep squirrels out,” the season has officially begun.

So, put down the phone, stop Googling, and get out there. The shed is waiting.

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Data source: Google Search Trends, UK, past 30 days vs previous periods.

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