John’s March jobs for the garden…

March arrives with a quiet sense of new energy. You can almost feel the shift in the air, with the sounds of the birds, and the longer and brighter days. Whether you’re reviving a border, planting something new, filling a container, or simply standing still and taking in the scent of early blossom in the breeze, March invites you back into the garden, not just to prepare it, but to be a part of it.

Here’s what you can do this month…

• Hellebore leaves - Remove these on any Hellebore Orientalis to help set off their flowers.

• Pruning - Cut back Hydrangea Paniculata, summer-flowering clematis and other plants that flower on their new growth.

• Feeding - Apply Vitax Q4 - just 1 handful per m2 across your borders.

• Propagation- Divide and replant perennials in the ground, and also divide established pot-grown plants.

• Feed sowing - a great time to sow perennial seeds, as well as vegetables and annuals in a frost-free place.

• Pot up plugs - Pot on any plug plants to help establish a strong root system before planting out.

• Bedding Schemes - plan your bedding schemes for the summer season.

• 4D’s - look out for dead, damaged, diseased, and duplicated growth to trim out of trees and shrubs.

• Plant Shrubs - great for structure, flowers, berries, or evergreen interest.

• Alpine Garden - plant a small trough or container and include rocks and alpines to emulate a miniature alpine landscape.