with Terry Simmonds
Spring is just about here and the clocks will be changing soon to give us much more time to get gardening. The grass is already growing and will need regular cutting but at this stage it should not be cut too short. There is a lot of moss about again this year and this is best dealt with by applying either lawn sand or a proprietory moss killer. Once the moss turns black the dead stuff can be raked or scarified out.
In the vegetable garden shallots and Jerusalem artichokes can be planted but its a bit too early to put in seed potatoes this month. Broad beans, parsnips and early peas should now be sown and so too can Brussels sprouts, kale, leeks, radish, carrots and onions.
In the greenhouse tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet corn, marrows and courgettes should be sown so that the plants will be ready to put out when spring frosts are less likely. Flowers such as antirrhinums, marguerites, nicotiana, stocks and phlox can be sown under glass and so too can perennials such as lupins and delphiniums.
March is a good time to re-pot orchids and certain house plants. Late-flowering clematis such as Hagley Hybrid and Jackmanii Superba should be pruned back hard and the earlier flowering varieties lightly pruned. Its time to prune roses and shrubs like ceanothus Gloire de Versailles, caryopteris, cornus, the large-flowered buddleias and wistaria. Pyracantha should be trimmed too. Hedge trimming is best left until the birds have finished nesting. Cut out the old raspberry canes and tie in the new ones if not already done and cut down the autumn-fruiting varieties too.
Many herbaceous perennials can be dug up and split at this time and penstemmons can be lightly pruned. March is a good time to purchase young herbaceous plants for the border and its a good time to sort out the rock garden as well.
Snowdrops can be lifted and divided and gladiolus and lily bulbs can be planted. Bare-root hedging such as beech and privet must be planted before the end of the month and so too should new raspberry canes.
Its a good time to visit the garden centre and choose new shrubs and climbing plants and get them planted so they will be well established before the summer. Trees and conifers can be planted now to provide height in the garden.
March is the month when the daffodils come through and the early cherry blossom shows. The flowering quince (chaenomeles), forsythia, camellias, magnolias and kerria should all flower this month and the garrya should look a picture with its long silvery tassels.