WHAT TO DO IN YOUR ENGLISH GARDEN IN MARCH

March marks the official arrival of spring in the UK and we are sure you will be as eager as us to get our hands back in the soil after the long, cold winter months! The days are getting longer, the soil is starting to warm up and there’s a sense of anticipation in the air. This is an exciting time for gardeners, with plenty of opportunities to prepare for the growing season ahead. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a novice, March offers a wealth of fun activities in the garden.

Practical Tips for March Gardening:

Start Planning and Preparing
March is an ideal time to plan your garden for the upcoming growing season. Take some time to review what worked and what didn’t in the previous year. Consider what plants you’d like to grow, whether you want to add new features like a flower bed, or if you’re planning to implement any changes. Sketch out your garden plan and think about the amount of sunlight, shade, and moisture different areas of your garden receive. Having this knowledge about your garden will help you choose the right plant when you visit our garden centre. Our friendly team are always on hand to offer advice.

Prepare the Soil
As the weather warms up, the soil will begin to dry out and become workable again. March is an excellent time to get the your garden beds ready for planting. Begin by removing any weeds that have sprouted over the winter and consider turning the soil with a fork or spade to improve aeration. Adding organic matter, such as soil conditioning compost or well-rotted manure, can help improve the structure and fertility of the soil. If your soil is heavy clay, incorporate some horticultural grit or sand to improve drainage.

Cut Back Last Year’s Growth
On ornamental grasses and other perennials to make way for new shoots.

Planting Early Crops
March is an exciting time for gardeners who want to get a jumpstart on the growing season. You can sow seeds indoors for crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. If the weather is mild, you can plant hardy vegetables like broad beans, onions, and garlic outdoors. Plant onion bulbs so their tips are just visible above the soil.

Slug Control
Last year was really bad for slug and snail damage. Take steps now to protect young vulnerable shoots. There are many ways you can protect plants from slate shavings around plants, copper bands, slug pellets, wool blankets or slug traps. One of nature’s natural eaters of slugs are hedgehogs so don’t use pesticides if you know you have hedgehogs nearby. Hedgehogs will be emerging this month from hibernation. If you feel you want to feed them avoid bread and milk and opt for specialist hedgehog food (which we sell) or leave them to the slugs!

Prepare for Lawn Care
As the weather warms up, your lawn will begin to grow again. March is a great time to give your lawn some attention. If the soil is not too wet or waterlogged, you can start by raking away debris and any remaining leaves from the winter. It’s also a good time to aerate the lawn, which will help relieve compaction and improve drainage. To do this either use a specialist aerator tool or use the prongs of a garden fork. If your lawn has bare patches, you can apply grass seed to these areas and keep them watered. Fertilising the lawn with a nitrogen-rich feed will encourage strong, healthy growth in the spring.

Clean Garden Tools
Before you start your gardening activities, take the time to clean and sharpen your tools. Tools such as spades, forks and secateurs can become dull over time, so sharpening them will make your work easier and more efficient. We sell whetstones and other sharpening stones in store. You should also clean and oil your tools to keep them working at their best.

Allotment
Cover your seed beds with clear polythene or horticultural fleece to warm the soil up before you sow your seeds later in the month.

Prune Your Climbing Roses
First remove any dead (brown and dry) wood. Retain young vigorous branches. Only remove a few old branches if new (pale green) branches have grown from below where you propose to cut. Use sharp secateurs or a pruning saw. Tie the long main branches back to their support (e.g. back onto a trellis). Side branches are not pruned as the rose will flower on those again from June onwards.

Things to Buy for Your Garden in March:

Seeds and Seedlings
March is the perfect time to purchase seeds for early sowing both indoors for a head start or outdoors. If you look on the back of the packet it will tell you when to sow and how as well as when it will flower or crop and how much space you need to grow it. Our favourites for March sowing include Beetroot, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Lobelia and Sunflowers.

Plant Supports
As the growing season progresses, plants like sweet peas, peas and tomatoes will need support. March is the time to buy plant supports such as trellises, stakes, and netting. Installing these supports early will ensure that your plants have the support they need as they begin to grow taller. For climbing plants like beans and peas, tall, sturdy stakes/canes and netting will help them grow in the right direction and prevent them from toppling over. You may also want to remember your tall perennial plants that tend to flop and put a sturdy plant support ring around the plant as it emerges from the soil varieties like alliums and poppies for example.

Compost and Fertilisers
A good supply of compost is essential for enriching your soil and providing nutrients to your plants. You can either buy ready-made compost or consider creating your own at home using kitchen scraps and garden waste. Fertilisers can also be purchased to give your plants an early nutrient boost. Organic options like blood, fish and bone meal or seaweed fertilisers are popular choices with gardeners. For lawns, you may want to buy a spring lawn feed to encourage healthy growth.

Garden Tools
March is a great time to invest in any garden tools that may need replacing or upgrading. For example, purchasing new gloves, secateurs and a spade will ensure you’re fully equipped for the season ahead. If you’re looking to do more precise work, consider adding a trowel or hand fork to your collection.

Mulch
Mulching is a great way to retain moisture in the soil and suppress weeds as the weather warms up. In March, you can purchase organic mulches like bark (either composted bark or bark chips). Apply mulch around your plants after the soil has warmed up to help protect the roots and encourage strong growth.

Seasonal Highlights:

Spring Blooms
March is the time when your garden begins to awaken from its winter slumber. Early spring flowers such as crocuses, snowdrops, and hellebores start to bloom, providing a much-needed burst of colour. Daffodils and tulips are also beginning to emerge, creating vibrant displays throughout gardens and parks. These early flowers not only brighten up the garden but also provide much-needed nectar for pollinators like bees and butterflies. If you forgot to plant your spring flowering bulbs last autumn then we sell some in a state we call ‘in the green’ which is effectively planted in a pot and growing ready for you to plant on into your garden pots or beds.

Wildlife Activity
As the weather warms, wildlife becomes more active. March is a key time for birds to begin nesting, so providing bird boxes or feeding stations will help attract these creatures to your garden. You can even fill a fatball cage with hair groomed from pets or even your own hairbrush as birds will be glad of the soft nesting material.

Fruit Blossoms
March is the time when fruit trees, such as apple and cherry, begin to blossom. These delicate flowers are not only beautiful to look at but also attract pollinators.

Plants to look out for…
Camellias, Magnolias, Hellebores, Amelanchier and Viburnums should all be looking sensational this month. We always fill our undercover section, which we call our plant market, with ‘looking good’ plants of the moment. If you are in a hurry this is the place to go for seasonal highlights and temptation!