Steal a March on spring

March is the first month of meteorological spring and it arrives with the prospect of warmer weather, longer days and the start of the growing season

Wemight all be champing at the bit to get back in the garden, but while winter is technically behind us, frost or snow are still possible, so do be guided by the weather and work your soil only when conditions are dry and mild. That said, there are lots of jobs to be done this month and next, and it will pay to get ahead before nature goes into overdrive!

“Finish pruning your roses now”

Lis Morris, lecturer in Horticulture and Sustainable Technologies at University Centre Reaseheath in Cheshire, says: “Plants start into vigorous growth as soon as the weather warms up. Any preparation while your garden is relatively dormant will make life much easier later on.”

In the garden

• Thoroughly weed herbaceous beds, mulch generously with compost

• Add general purpose fertiliser around hungry plants such as roses, and shrubs and hedges too – and finish pruning your roses

• Trim ornamental grasses to make room for new growth

• Lift, divide and replant overgrown clumps of perennials

• Remove dead foliage from alpines and mulch with grit to keep dry

• Top-dress containers with fresh compost, plant with lilies and other summer-flowering bulbs

• Place bug boxes or bundles of hollow stems in sheltered corners where insects can lay their eggs

• Continue feeding the garden birds so they’re in peak health for the breeding season.

A Cut Above

In honour of Mother’s Day (19th March, don’t forget!) here is Shire’s pick of the garden’s best bloomers. Plant now and next year you can cut your own bouquet…

Lilies

Oriental lilies in particular are a top choice for fragrance and their glamorous, trumpet-shaped flowers. You only need a few stems to make a dramatic and exotic-looking cut-flower display.

Tulips

For an early blaze of colour, plant lots of tulip bulbs so that you’ll be able to cut plenty for indoors without denting your garden display. Cut tulips are thirsty flowers – keep an eye on the fluid level in your vase, and avoid mixing with cut daffodils as a chemical in the daffodil sap interferes with them taking in water.

In the vegetable plot

• When conditions are right, make outdoor sowings of hardy veg such as spinach, broad beans, beetroot, onions and kale; protect with fleece

• Plant early potatoes in trenches or large tubs

In the greenhouse

• Take down bubble insulation and give glass a thorough wash, inside and out, to get rid of pests and let in maximum light

• Buy good value young bedding plants for growing on under glass, or sow your own in a propagator

• Start crops like celeriac, celery and lettuces indoors

• Sow sweet peas in deep pots, cover with clear wrap and place in a light, bright place

• Sow peas or beans indoors in plastic guttering filled with compost. When you’re ready to plant out, dig a shallow row in your prepared plot, then slide in the whole row of seedlings

• Open greenhouse vents on sunny days to aid air circulation

For more on courses at Reeseheath see www.reaseheath.ac.uk/ horticulture and for degrees, ucreaseheath.ac.uk/courses

Peonies

Peonies are prized for their beautiful, large blooms. Just a few stems are enough to create a stunning arrangement. Pick before the bud opens, when it’s soft between finger and thumb like a marshmallow.

Dahlias

With showy blooms in a range of colours, forms and sizes, dahlias light up sunny borders as well as being a brilliant option for a cut bouquet. They suit most garden styles, from tropical to cottage borders, and smaller types can be grown in containers.

Sweet peas

You can grow beautiful and flouncy annual sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) from seed each year for their heavenly fragrance and for cutting. Allow them to climb over obelisks or twiggy supports in borders or in a cutting garden.

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