It doesn’t seem like a month ago I wrote the last monthly gardening column but at last the weather seems to be improving and the sun is shining as I am writing this.
I am very tempted to put down the keyboard and get out into the garden but I am afraid that will have to wait and at least we have got Easter just round the corner which is when traditionally the garden year starts for many gardeners.
Jobs for the Vegetable Garden
If the weather allows this is a good time to plant onion sets and shallots that should be readily available from garden centres and local hardware stores. When purchasing ensure that the bulbs are firm and not shooting too much as they can go very soft when displayed in the shops. As they start to grow they may need a bit of wire protection as woodpigeons love to come along and pull them out.
Continue with ground preparation prior to being able to start sowing and planting further crops as the weather improves.
Jobs for the Flower Garden
I would normally sow my sweet peas in February but due to weather conditions this year I will be a bit late and sowing them this month. For the best quality seeds, I always send off for mine from Eagle Sweet Peas who exhibit at Chelsea and Shrewsbury Flower Shows. http://www.eaglesweetpeas.co.uk
Early spring is a good time to plant herbaceous perennials in the garden to give a long season of colour in the garden many of which are suitable for cut flowers as well. One of my favourites is Helleborous orientalis (The Lenten Rose) these are in flower in the garden at the moment and are available in colours from white through to yellow, pink, reds and deep purple and many come with speckled throats and even some semi double flowered varieties, so it is a good time to get out to the garden centre and choose them while they are in flower.
At this time of year there are a lot of new shoots emerging so it is very important to make sure you are on guard for the army of slugs and snails that are sure to appear.
Jobs for the Lawn
As long as it stops reasonably dry and not frozen March is a good time to lay turf so that it gets well established prior to us having a hot dry sunny spell (we live in hope).
Ground preparation can take place prior to sowing a lawn from seed but I would leave sowing till the end of the month or perhaps Early April.
If weather conditions improve and grass starts to grow the lawn could be given its first cut but make sure the height of the cut is raised for the first couple of cuts before setting the mower for its normal height. I know some people locally have already been cutting the lawns this is a bit early for me and I will give our lawn its first cut towards the end of the month – weather permitting.
A Few Other Jobs That Might Require Attention
- Lift and divide clumps of perennials
- Top dress containers with fresh compost and weed
- Cut back Cornus (dogwood) grown for colourful winter stems
- Weeds come back in to growth – remove before they become a problem
- Start feeding fish and using the pond fountain
- Continue ventilating the green house and cold frames on suitable days
That will have to do for this month as I have ran out of space and I am off into the garden before the sun goes in.
Paul Robson