KAIKAI

After a grey and wet winter in the garden, the greatest reward is to witness the annual explosion of fresh green shoots. Bare soil ignites with an irresistible fecundity and a promise that is unmatched by any other season in the gardening calendar.

It seems to me that the arrival of March is the signal for the garden to wake up properly. By the turn of the equinox, the slow burn of early spring is gradually overtaken by the roar of April and May. The garden throbs with a vital energy; borders and beds that last week looked bare are now carpeted with green shoots. Erupting from their swollen buds, plants race to flower, eager to steal a march on their competitors.

As a gardener, this is one moment in the year that you really don’t want to miss. It’s not only a privilege to witness this annual miracle of nature, but also a pivotal time in the garden. The transition from winter to spring sets the tone for the entire season, and the work done now will quietly shape everything that follows. I touch on this in more depth in my new online gardening course with Create Academy, but here are the essential tasks to focus on right now.

Tidy up the border

The lengthening days bring about a feeling of urgency and there are several tasks that need doing now. We aim to clear all of last season’s growth before any new shoots begin to emerge. Sometimes the spent flowers and foliage can simply be pulled away; alternatively, use secateurs to cut away the old stems. Sometimes, shears or a herbaceous sickle can be used for larger drifts of plants such as epimedium.

One advantage of clearing relatively late is that much of the bulk to the perennials is reduced, meaning fewer trips to the compost heap, and a valuable food source (in the form of seeds) remains through winter for the many birds that frequent the garden.

Once you have cleared, you will be able to assess whether any plants are looking congested or going bare at the centre. This is your cue for lifting and dividing. Using a fork, work all the way around the group, loosening the soil and gently teasing away the roots. When all the roots are free, lift out the plant and begin splitting. Sometimes it is possible to tear the clumps apart, but more often you will need to use two forks. You should aim to replant quickly to avoid undue stress on the plants.

Make plant supports

Spring is the time of year when gardening is at its most intense, and one of the most pressing tasks is staking. It is one of those jobs that, if done right, should be unnoticeable, but all too often the plant is trussed up like a chicken prepared for a Sunday roast. The aim is to sufficiently support the stems of the plant while still allowing its natural shape, form and habit to be exerted. Timing is everything: stake too soon and the support will be visible; too late and the stems will have collapsed into something resembling a curled-up Yorkshire terrier.

In my experience, by far the best materials for staking are hazel twigs, Corylus avellana. The best way of ensuring that you have an adequate supply of twigs is to grow your own, although they can be sourced from a number of suppliers.

Try to avoid any waste; the short stubby lengths with minimal branching are ideal for lupins, while longer well-branched sticks can be graded into various lengths for general staking. The feathery tips can be used for less robust plants such as Aquilegia and iris, and any straight unbranched sections can be used for skyscrapers, such as Eremurus and delphiniums.

Sow seeds

There is something very agreeable about raising plants from seed, either by saving and sowing your own from the previous year or by selecting seed from nursery catalogues. The effect is not immediate, but the rewards are immensely satisfying.

Hardy annuals are all sown directly to their flowering site in spring, and now in March is the perfect time. In subsequent years, you can simply leave the plants to self-seed.

Half-hardy annuals are those that would be damaged if the temperature dropped below 0C. These you should sow in a pan under glass in March and harden off in a cold frame or sheltered garden site, before planting them out when danger of frost has completely passed.

Plant a bare-root rose

Early March is the last opportunity to plant bare-root roses: any later and the rose will be in active growth.

Dig out the soil to create a planting pocket sufficiently large enough to accommodate the roots of the new rose. Add a small amount of compost and backfill, while holding the rose in situ. Firm the soil around it, ensuring that the rose is planted a little deeper than usual.

Pay some attention to the lawn

Often, the most neglected element of a garden is the lawn and paradoxically, this green velvet carpet can be the base note that allows the showier elements to shine. Although autumn would be a better time, now in early spring is a good moment to carry out lawn maintenance.

The first and most pressing task is to remove the thatch: the build-up of dead grass that lies in the sward. The removal of this thatch will reinvigorate the grass, minimising the risk of fungal disease.

The next task is to improve surface aeration and drainage; on a domestic scale, a border fork is effective. Push the fork down 6cm and wiggle it about, then repeat this action, moving backwards at 15cm intervals over the entire lawn. In areas of bare lawn, we sprinkle old potting compost mixed with grass seed on to the surface and brush it in with a stiff birch besom so that some of the seed is worked into the soil surface. Finally, we apply a nitrogen fertiliser that will start acting as soon as the soil temperature rises.

Other tasks

Many tender perennials, including dahlias, can slowly begin to be acclimatised to colder conditions. Hopefully, you will have started them into growth in February by giving them a little water and light. Though this is a job that requires some care, it is possible to get otherwise tender plants outside up to three weeks earlier than usual. Even if you have waited until you think there will be no more frost, nature can play cruel tricks. A temperature hovering around zero will certainly blacken tender and soft leaves, so always have some horticultural fleece ready to place over your tender or recently moved-out plants.

Now is the time to begin taking softwood cuttings. This can be done with many plants, especially shrubby things such as cistus, lavender, fuchsia and santolina. A new shoot of about 5cm in length cut just below a leaf join and pushed into a pot containing compost will root in no time.

Move outside pots of tender plants that have overwintered in the glasshouse. Pelargoniums, astelia and tulbaghia will all appreciate summer out of doors. Remember, though, that they are in pots and still rely on you to water and feed them.

As a general rule, any perennial that flowers before Midsummer’s Day can and should be cut down to the ground as soon as it has finished flowering. New growth and some new flowers will soon reappear. If you leave these plants uncut, then come August time the garden will be looking brown, tired and over.