Hopeful. Tentative. Unfurling. Expectant. It’s funny how we’re often in a hurry for spring to ‘happen’, especially after a long cold or wet winter. We’re desperate, not only for the contrast, but the reminder that spring will come again and put an end to what can become an interminable feeling of enclosure – though of course winter does have its own beauty.
Early
- Prune roses
- Sow hardy annuals outdoors and half-hardy annuals in a heated propagator in the greenhouse or on a windowsill indoors
- Tidy borders, weed and mulch with compost or manure
- Lift and divide herbaceous perennials
Mid
- Start mowing the lawn regularly and apply lawn weed and feed
- Plant new roses, trees, shrubs and perennials
- Feed specimen trees, roses, shrubs and hedge and established beds and borders, with a general purpose organic fertilizer
- Prick out half-hardy annual seedlings or pot them up as necessary
Late
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs after flowering
- Clip box hedges
- After the last frost plant out half-hardy annuals in containers and outdoor beds
- After the last frost plant out dahlias, bring out houseplants and plant any slightly tender shrubs
- Take cuttings from new growth of shrubs and perennials
Source: BBC Gardener’s World
