Sprouting Success: Your Spring Gardening Tips

As temperatures begin to rise, and life begins to return to the garden, our thoughts turn to what we need to do this Spring to get the best results for the rest of the year.

Our Care & Development team share some top tips of the season to help you prioritise the jobs in your garden.

Catch perennial weeds early

While the earth is still moist after all the rain of the past few weeks, perennial weeds will be popping up all over the place.

Catch ground elder as soon as it appears and carefully weed out its roots before it takes hold.

Dandelions and nettles will start appearing from nowhere, so get ahead and catch them while they are still small and easy to pick out.

Spring clean the greenhouse

In preparation for seed-sowing and propagation, now is the time to give your greenhouse a good spring clean.

Clear out all those old pots of dry compost and failed ‘projects’ and get organised with a potting area and seed trays. Clean the glass to optimise the light and check for breakages at the same time.

Give your lawns the edge

As your lawn will now be growing at a rate of knots, remember to edge up borders and tree circles. Not only does it look neater, it prevents stray grass from choking young plants and trees.

Support your perennials

Peonies, delphiniums and even woodier hydrangeas often need a helping hand to look their best as they come into flower in the summer.

Now is the time to get plant supports in place to prevent tender stems and heavy flower heads from flopping over and breaking. From simple dogwood canes (prunings from the Winter) to decorative metal frames, supports are not only practical but look good too.

Dead head your daffs

Once daffodils have flowered and the heads have dried up, it’s important to deadhead them and remove the seed head. This allows the plant to put all its energy into feeding the bulb for next year.

Wait another six weeks at least before removing the foliage as it provides vital nourishment for next year’s growth.

Time to plant out dahlia tubers

Now the ground is warming up, it’s safe to plant out dahlia tubers that you have kept warm and dry over the winter. If you have the space to start them indoors, then they can be planted out even if there is still a risk of frost.

Plant them in a sunny location with soil that drains well. Dig a deep, wide hole and work in a good amount of compost.

Finally, don’t forget that Spring flowers are beautiful indoors and out. Why not bring some bulbs inside to start opening ready for Easter table displays or create a simple, yet stunning floating candle decoration with a few hellebore flowers.

Both of these pretty displays were created by Heidi, the newest member of our Care & Development team. Remember they are here to help if you don’t have the time or skills to look after your garden yourself.

Happy Easter and Happy Gardening

All Photography by Heidi Biernat-Jones, GreenArt