What to do in your garden in March

Spring usually arrives by mid-March and the frequent sunny days provide the opportunity for an increasing range of gardening tasks. It’s time to get busy preparing seed beds, sowing seed, cutting back winter shrubs and generally tidying up around the garden.

March is a month of new beginnings in nature and the gardening season has begun and there are plenty of things to keep us busy outside.

1. Protect new spring shoots from slugs
2. Plant shallots, onion sets and early potatoes
3. Plant summer-flowering bulbs
4. Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials
5. Top dress containers with fresh compost
6. Mow the lawn on dry days (if needed)
7. Cut back Cornus (dogwood) and Salix (willow) grown for colourful winter stems
8. Hoe and mulch weeds to keep them under control early
9. Start feeding fish and using the pond fountain; remove pond heaters
10. Prune bush and climbing roses

Sources: www.rhs.org.uk / www.houseandgarden.co.uk