and c t flowers GARDEN KNOW-HOW Ten top seasonal tips from The Bath Gardener

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Get the children involved in simple tasks; Wisteria fl ourishes if trimmed in February; Removing dead or overgrown branches from fruit trees ensures bumper crops; Start sowing seeds under cover round about now

GREEN AT GARDENING?

A ten-step gardening guide for beginners By Neil Donovan

Don’t forget to feed our little feathered friends during the colder spells

If 2020 taught us anything it was to value and cherish our green spaces. l e skies, open fields, tremendo s trees, the smallest b d, and the bea ty of wildlife – they all provided a form of therapy and gave s oy and hopeful inspiration. It was also a period when we took stock of our own o tdoor spaces, whether that be a small city window box or a s bstantial lawned back garden, and vowed to start taking care of it so it co ld be en oyed to the max in – well that time is now. ith b lbs appearing and wildlife waking p as daylight and temperat res increase, there’s plenty to do o tdoors this month to prepare for the seasons ahead. P t the e ort in now and reap the benefits later in the year. To help get you started, The Bath Gardener (aka Donny, aka Neil Donovan) shares his top easy tips on what yo can get to work on in yo r garden over the next few months.

1PRUNE SMALL OR YOUNG TREES AND SHRUBS. hat might look like a lockdown hairc t will almost always reap dividends and ickly, b t timing is everything. ost trees and shr bs need a good c t back to remove dead or overgrown branches, which improves the tree or shr b’s structure directing new and healthy growth. r it trees will pay yo back with a b mper crop too. ake all c ts above a b d or a leaf and make s re yo se a clean, sharp tool.

2GET PLANNING AND ORDER SEEDS NOW. 2020 saw a huge increase in people gardening and online orders were s b ect to some long delays, so plan ahead and order soon. Top tip: Check if any old seed packets are worth keeping by sowing a few seeds on damp kitchen paper, and wait to see if they germinate then sow accordingly. y the way, we think this also co nts as a home school science experiment

3ADD THAT TRELLIS. Train your climbers, hide that corner, highlight that feat re. Now is the time to b ild some str ct re into yo r garden. eep it simple with a ready made str ct re, or fashion yo r own. emember, with the right climber, this will be covered in no time so no need to be too fussy. Check all other supports too now, before it is too late to change them.

4MAKE LIKE THE GOOD LIFE AND GROW YOUR OWN. Prep your vegetable seed beds now and it will soon be time to sow anything nder cover – tomatoes, rocket, broad beans, or chitted’ potatoes. This is one for the kids too as growing veg is an easy way to get the whole family involved. So, prep yo r spaces, big or small window boxes, allotments, postage stamp or rolling greens . e se b bble wrap from parcel deliveries, straw, or even a fleece blanket, to cover v lnerable seedlings.

5IT’S HARD TO BEAT a wisteria climbing over a ath Stone wall front of house as a show piece, and the key to a bea tif l flowering one is to pr ne twice a year. ebr ary is the best time to c t back those whippy green shoots of last year’s new growth to b ds the same ones yo sho ld have c t to 5 or leaves in September, b t if you forgot, it’s still okay to catch up) to ensure yo have an ab ndance of blooms that aren’t obsc red by growth. 6 MULCH AND FEED. Get that nutrition back into the soil, add compost to flower borders as an easy pdate. ead to yo r local garden centre which are mercif lly still open) and ask their advice on what will suit yo r soil, shr b and flower beds to no rish those blooms if yo haven’t got yo r own. ny organic matter will s ppress weeds whilst keeping moist re in the soil and developing its nutrient structure.

7SOW NOW FOR SUMMER SCENTS. et ahead and start the seeds o in moist compost on a windowsill and move to a cooler b t frost free area as soon as yo see the first leaves. eep seeds and seedlings covered at night to prevent visits from mice, and place young plants in a cool place (outside in a porch, for instance . Plant o t into well prepared soil in spring after the last frost.

8FEED OUR WINGED FRIENDS – DAILY. Share fat, seeds, and n ts alongside fresh drinking water, which can do ble p as bathing water for o r feathered friends – something yo r small people might en oy organising too.

9RE-ORGANISE THE SHED OR GARAGE. Okay, it’s the not the most exciting ob, b t yo ’ll be thanking s in no time. t’s easy for storage spaces to become cl ttered and n sable, possibly even dangero s. Streamline yo r space, replace or fix e ipment, clean tools and label N his per cent b ys yo an extra few beers come the s mmer months to sip and en oy whilst admiring yo r horticultural handiwork.

10 MOST IMPORTANTLY, DON’T PANIC OR OVER THINK IT. ardening is as m ch or as little time or money as yo wish to invest, and it is most definitely a marathon and not a sprint. earning abo t the n ances for yo r open spaces is a labo r of love and mistakes are never forever. There are plenty of resources online to pl nder, or yo can ask an expert. e say give it a go and have f n trying

The Bath Gardener can help with all things garden – from regular maintenance to grand scale landscaping For more: www.thebathgardener.co.uk