Spring Renewal | Garden Checklist for March

As we wave goodbye to winter, the month of March is the time to dig, plant and prune, readying your green spaces for a fresh season of blooms. Read on to discover the four garden jobs you should prep now, to ensure you’ll reap the rewards later…

First things first, flex your green fingers indoors. Ahead of them sprouting, move plants into slightly bigger pots, increasing the diameter of each of their containers by only 5cm, as too much space can slow growth and cause root rot. Water your plants the day before you undertake this task and be sure to use fresh compost packed with nutrients in your new pots, to help them settle in.

Rid your green space of unwelcome guests. Remove weeds before they have a chance to get established and then lift and replant snowdrop bulbs in clusters around the garden to double your stock of plants for next year. Do this by waiting until the flowers have gone but whilst they are still in leaf, teasing clumps of bulbs apart before placing them around the garden at the same depth. Finish work on your flower beds by topping your soil with organic mulch that will help to improve its quality, lock in moisture and suppress the reappearance of weeds. Applying mulch is also a great, natural way to keep slugs at bay…

It’s time to cut back deciduous ornamental grasses, roses and hydrangeas. Feeding of potted roses only begins when they come into growth. Beforehand, their crossing stems need to be snipped and those that remain should be pruned up to a third of their length. Wait until new buds have appeared on hydrangeas before cutting down to their level, leaving stems longer in the middle to maintain the overall shape of your plant.

Preparing for summer floral displays needs starts now. The seeds of half-hardy annuals such as marigold, poppies and cosmos need to be sown 3mm deep in a compost-filled tray that’s stored under cover. Water, cover with glass or polythene and stow them somewhere warm (between 15-20°c), waiting a week or two for them to germinate.