Late February early March sees the jonquils begining to show their buds. This heralds the time to commence the Autumn cleanup in readiness for the cooler weather and the sowing of many of the winter bloomers, the polyanthus, primulas, foxgloves and pansy. It is a time to strip the beds of their excess growth and remove the wild groundcovers and the making of a new compost heap. Everything from the garden can go into the mix, prunings from shrubs and the dead wood from the trees, leaves and green materials all blended to make a light and airy pile. As it heats up it will compact somewhat. It isn't necessary to have a really hot compost as much of the material here is broken down firstly by the bacteria and rotting fungi present everywhere on plant stems, leaves and roots and later by small invertebrates like the slater often seen in huge numbers when digging at the bottom for the rich humus for use in potting and seed-raising mix . With the addition of some course river sand from the lanscape suppliers a free draining friable seed-raising mix will insure healthy vibrant seedlings.