Gardening

Edition Twenty Four - March 2008

February in the UK gave us some warm and sunny days with very heavy frosts at night. Mother nature likes to lull us into thinking Spring has arrived, then plunges us back into deepest winter once again! The recent hoar frosts were stunning though, see the cobweb on the left.

Don't worry unduly about things in the garden, plants are very resilient and will soon pick up. If you have suffered with severe weather of any type, wait a while to see if anything really has died before removing it. Often just cutting out the dead and broken branches will restore a shrub to its former glory. The one useful thing you can do is knock any late snow off shrubs that are bending under the weight of it.. A soft yard brush is good for this job

Securing water for the future

Climate change means that we will all have to value water more as we find a fairer way of paying for it, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, said as he launched the Government’s water strategy for England, Future Water.

Jobs for the month - March

Lawns

March - April are good months for sowing or laying new lawns. Existing lawns should be swept and raked before mowing. I have already given my lawn two light cuts this year, more to collect debris than shorten the grass, and this month I shall remove the moss with an electric scarifier, weather permitting, which is an extremely satisfying job... 

Vegetables

Continue to sow successional crops such as salads and carrots. You don't need a vegetable garden or allotment to enjoy home grown vegetables as they can be grown in amongst the flowers. In fact it helps to keep the aphids and carrot fly away if you plant vegetables amongst flowers such as marigolds, and I think it looks really nice to see vegetables and salad stuff dotted around the borders. Later on you could put a small wigwam of runner beans in, or grow them in a tub. I grew some broad beans in a tub last year and they were very successful.

Paths and walkways

Keep paths and walkways clear of debris and slippery algae. If it is still icy, put down some salt to melt it, which will save you and your visitors sliding all over the place, or worse, having a fall..

Shrub borders and roses

Turn over the borders with a fork to freshen them up and let air in - as the earth will have become compacted over winter - taking out any weeds at the same time. Cut out any dead or twiggy wood from rose bushes and shrubs. 

Pruning

Prune early summer and later flowering Clematis hybrids. Prune Wisterias and ornamental vines. Tidy up shrubs or trees that have suffered damage in the windy weather. If you are in doubt about when to prune certain shrubs and clematis, consult a gardening book for the varieties you have. Dogwoods should be pruned hard back this month to get the benefit of the new colourful growth next winter.

I have a shredder and spend time shredding the prunings from trees and shrubs; not only is this very therapeutic, but it goes towards making wonderful compost, and is good recycling practice..

Wildlife

The birds are very busy this month pairing off and mating. If you are thinking of placing new nesting boxes, make sure they face North so the sun doesn't shine in them. Clean out any old nesting boxes that open with a hand brush but not disinfectant or water.. The beautiful little robin on the right was following me recently while on a walk. The two foxes that travel through our garden each night are a nuisance because they did up the weed suppressing membrane on a patio area, but it's a small price to pay for having these beautiful animals in the garden.. 

Paths, walls and fencing

Check over your boundary walls and fences for any wind or subsidence damage.. A lick of paint on the fence on a sunny day is a satisfying job and does wonders for freshening up the faded panels.

Summer bedding plants

Start sowing seeds for your summer bedding plant displays. Ensure they have the correct conditions stated on the packet - some require a light covering of compost and no daylight, whilst others may require no covering but plenty of daylight.. You will find too that some seeds such as sweet peas and anemone corms need soaking in water for 24 hours before planting... Don't over water seeds and try to keep the heat constant because fluctuating temperatures will kill them off.

This year I'm replenishing my Delphiniums and various other perennials with some new stock.

Sometimes I buy pots of ready germinated young bedding seedlings from the garden centre, then prick them out at home..

Happy gardening.