Top 10 things to do in my flower garden in March
March is an exciting time for flower gardening in the UK, as the garden begins to wake up from winter. It's a period of preparation, sowing, and early planting to ensure a vibrant display throughout the spring and summer. Here are the top 10 tasks for your flower garden in March:
Prune Shrubs and Perennials: Cut back any dead growth on perennials and prune summer-flowering shrubs to encourage strong new growth and improve flowering.
Sow Annual Flower Seeds Indoors: Start annual flowers such as marigolds, petunias, and snapdragons indoors under grow lights or in a bright spot to get a jump on the growing season.
Plant Summer-Flowering Bulbs: Get gladioli, lilies, and dahlias into the ground or start them off in pots indoors for an earlier bloom.
Divide Perennials: Early spring is the perfect time to divide overgrown perennials. This rejuvenates the plants and increases your stock.
Prepare Flower Beds: Weed, aerate, and enrich your flower beds with compost or well-rotted manure. Preparing your soil now will pay off with lush blooms later.
Hardy Annuals: Direct sow hardy annuals like sweet peas, calendula, and poppies outside in well-prepared beds or pots.
Support Climbing Plants: Install or repair supports for climbing plants such as clematis, roses, and sweet peas before they start their rapid spring growth.
Mulch: Apply a layer of mulch around perennials, shrubs, and trees to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and enrich the soil.
Potted Plants: Begin to repot and feed container-grown plants to encourage growth. Consider refreshing the top layer of compost for plants that don't need repotting.
Protect New Shoots: Keep an eye out for late frosts and protect tender shoots with fleece. Slugs and snails also become active, so consider using organic deterrents around susceptible plants.
These tasks will help lay the foundation for a successful and colorful flower garden throughout the year. Remember, the weather in March can still be quite variable, so be prepared to protect sensitive plants from late frosts and to adjust your activities based on local conditions. Happy gardening!