March in the Garden
Jobs for March in your Garden
Well, Spring has officially sprung. Crocuses are showing their yellow and purple heads and the daffs are blowing in the breeze. And whilst we’ve had some beautiful spring days filled with sunshine already, don’t be fooled into thinking there isn’t a chance of frost.
Whatever you do, do not be rushing out with packets of seeds in hand thinking that you can plant out already. So put those delicate little seed packets back in the cupboard and let’s have a look at the jobs you can be doing this month.
First off, let’s tackle some of those herbaceous plants that need cutting back. March is a perfect time for cutting the deciduous herbaceous plants down to the ground, so grab your secateurs and get to grips with those campanulas, salvias, echinops and sedums – but leave the epemediums well alone. Bergenias with their beautiful bright pink blooms) should be left for a while longer, along with Penstemon or Brunnera.
Remove some of the dead growth on your evergreen perennials but don’t be tempted to cut them back entirely.
You can even tackle some of those unruly deciduous grasses and comb out some of the dead growth of evergreen varieties.
Group 3 Clematis (Jackmanii Superba and Comtesse de Bouchard etc) should be pruned as soon as they show signs of new growth – so cut them back to just above a strong pair of leaf buds about 30cm above ground. Group 2 (Clematic Bees, Jubilee and and Lasurstern) need a little more delicate attention so only remove the dead tips.
The glorious Dogwoods that have kept colour in the garden all through winter, have now had their day, so chop em right back to within 15-20cms of the ground. Don’t worry tho, they’ll bounce right back!
Winter flowering shrubs such as Hamamelis, Mahonia and Viburnums, need to be pruned after they’ve flowered.. but leave those Hydrangeas until the late spring just in case we have a late flurry or snow or frost.
If you fancy a few summer flowering bulbs, now’s your chance to plant them. Whilst you’re putting some in your borders, why not throw a few in some pots for good measure? There’s nothing quite like a big pot of brassy Gladiolus or Lillies to fragrance the patio.
Then sit back with a cup of coffee and plan which seeds you’re going to sow next month ready for the summer!
Happy Gardening!