Spring in the garden
Spring in the garden
As signs of life begin to re-appear in your garden following the long harsh winter and daylight hours begin to increase it is time to brush the dust off your gardening shoes and tackle some seasonal tasks to prepare for the growing season.
Your garden should currently be awash with colour from all the bulb planting undertaken in autumn and winter. Snowdrops & Crocus should be in bloom with Daffodils not too far behind. Many varieties of spring flowering shrubs can also provide interest at this time of year including Forsythia x intermedia, Viburnum tinus, Ribes sanguineum and many varieties of Rhododendron and Camellia. Spring flowering trees will provide a splash of colour from now until May. Varieties include Malus ‘John Downie’, Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ and Amelanchier laevis. It is always advisable to check the eventual height and spread of a tree before purchasing it to ensure it is suitable for the size of your garden.
The following is a list of tasks to undertake in the garden during spring.
Lawns
Apply lawn weed and feed to grass areas in April. The lawn can also get its first cut but raise the blades on the mower as the grass will only need to be topped.
Propagation
Hardy annuals like Sweet Pea and Alyssum can be planted directly outdoors. Half hardy annuals like French Marigold & Pansy should be planted in a heated propagator in a greenhouse or on a windowsill.
Pruning
Prune Roses to an outward facing bud and feed with a general purpose organic fertilizer. Spring flowering shrubs can be pruned after flowering. Clip box hedging once last frost has passed.
Dividing
Lift and divide herbaceous perennials as required.
Feeding
Feed trees, shrubs and perennials with a general purpose organic fertilizer
Planting
Plant new roses, trees & shrubs providing the ground is not frozen.
Vegetable and fruit
Prepare your vegetable plot by forking over and incorporating well rotted manure from your compost heap.
Vegetables that can be sown at this time of year include onion, garlic, broad bean, lettuce, parsnip, spinach, cabbage and cauliflower.
If you have a glasshouse or polytunnel you can start growing the following vegetables, tomatoes, peppers and cucumber.
Bare root or container grown fruit trees can be planted at this time. Homemade compost or well rotted farmyard manure should be placed around the base of all existing fruit trees. This will feed the plants as they begin to grow.
Finally, tidy borders, remove winter germinating weeds and mulch with compost or farmyard manure.
