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GARDENING ADVICE FOR THE NEW (AND NOT SO NEW) GARDENER

Well what a mild winter! So mild the runner bean tubers I’ve been storing in the garage started sprouting in December. The cold snap in February soon brought them back to their senses though!

The day’s length is such that the plants now want to get going, but the ground temperature must be right for success. March is said to arrive roaring like a lion and leave like a lamb, so patience is a virtue this month, as we wait for the spring lamb. Don’t panic if the weather continues to be bad, as the plants will catch up – eventually.

There is no such thing as an absolute set date for a job in gardening, as temperatures vary according to where you are in the area. Temperatures are warmer nearer the coast than they are 10 miles in land, so adjust what you do for where you are and the weather.

Frosts can still be a hazard, so keep vulnerable plants protected at night if frost is forecast. March winds are also notorious for their ferocity so check exposed plants are well supported.

Now is the time for a thorough spring clean; weed and dig over your borders incorporating as much organic matter as you can – those chilly winds will really help to dry out the soil. Mulch bare soil once

you have done the work and remove moss and weeds from paths, terraces and driveways. They may be boring tasks but if you don’t get on top of the garden now (especially the weeds!) it will be a nightmare for the rest of the season.

Clean and repair your garden tools, book the lawn mower in for a service (if it hasn’t had one already) and check garden furniture for any rot. When it is warm enough, treat sheds, fences and trellis with wood preservative; brushes and rollers are fine for most things; however a sprayer is well worth buying for tricky projects such as woven panels!

For those of you planning your first vegetable garden, prepare your soil adding as much organic matter as you can. For a first year’s crop, potatoes are considered a good choice as they help break up the soil. In reality – it’s you digging up the potatoes later in the year that breaks up the soil! If you’re planting in what used to be a lawn, you can expect to lose a lot of the potatoes in the first year to wireworm and / or keel slugs. Buy good quality seeds, as it’s a shame not to get the best rewards for all the hard work put into preparing your vegetable patch. Remember to take soil condition and weather into account when sowing seeds.

For those more interested in flowers, here are some things to keep you busy…….Hardy annuals can be sown in pots or modules to provide colour in the garden. If conditions allow, you can sow directly outside. Marking out irregularly shaped seedbeds and broadcasting drifts of different seed gives a more natural look. Sweet peas can be sown outside this month. Place autumn-sown sweet peas in a sunny position, perhaps on a high shelf in the greenhouse that gets plenty of light. Sow summer bedding plants in a heated propagator or under glass. Early spring is an ideal time to plant herbaceous perennials, including Geranium, Astrantia and Oriental poppies.

Plant summer-flowering bulbs. Prepare the soil first, to ensure that drainage is sufficient to prevent the bulbs rotting. Anemone coronariatubers need particularly well-drained soils. Indoor forced bulbs that were in the house for winter displays, but which have now finished flowering, can be planted into the garden, taking care not to disturb the roots.