Birds are more plentiful this month. They’re singing, mating & nest-building. I like to clean & refill birdbaths for them. It’s also nice to provide some nesting materials seeing as how I’ve already composted much of the natural material over winter.
photo by SVSeekins
Tools
Sharpen pruners, shears and hedge clippers and make sure they’re free from rust.
It’s best to clean pruners between each shrub. Spray with a solution of 10% bleach & water. This helps to prevent the spread of diseases through the garden.
photo by SVSeekins
Spraying
Fruit Trees – before the blooms open, apply dormant oil to control pests (unless it was done in February)
Pruning
photo by SVSeekins
Hydrangea should be pruned after the middle of March to avoid die back from freezing winds.
The common butterfly bush blooms only on new growth, so now’s a good time to prune it to the shape that suits
Roses can be pruned when the forsythia is in bloom.
Forsythia & other flowering shrubs can be pruned right after flowering.
bergenia – elephant ears
Fertilizing
Add compost or Sea Soil to areas of heavy feeding, like rhubarb, asparagus patch & veggie bed
Planting
photo by SVSeekins
Plant summer flowering bulbs (gladioli & lilies) towards the end of the month, depending on the soil conditions. They don’t like sitting in waterlogged soils.
Sow sweet peas and hardy annuals such as alyssum, & calendula.
photo by SVSeekins
Weeding
As the temperature increases so will growth. This is when that January mulching really starts to pay off. Wander through the beds digging out the occasional perennial weeds (dandelions…) If the mulching didn’t happen, keep a check on the carpet of young weeds & remove them before they take hold… Pop Weed goes to seed quickly, so get rid of it fast!
Donkey Tail Spurge
Perennials
The worst of the cold is past now & the birds have more choices for food. Now’s the time to cut back the perennials left standing for the birdseed… Tall sedums blooms are a good example. Isn’t it nice to see the new growth at the base is already showing?
Divide Snowdrops & Winter Aconite (Eranthis) while ‘in the green’.
Pot up the Tuberous Begonias, Dahlias & Cannas that have wintered in their bare root storage… keeping them inside gives them a head start before moving them outside in May.
hellebore and; crocus
Now’s also the time to finish up dividing those overgrown hardy perennials:
Cut the tops back to a couple of inches.
Lift the whole plant out with a fork.
Look for a natural line across the plant and cut it right through with a sharp knife.
Continue this until you’ve divided the plant up to suit your needs.
Replant the pieces in groups of 3-5 to make an impact in ornamental borders from repeating colour schemes.
Pot up spares immediately. (The garden club welcomes donations!)
Water well.
photo by SVSeekins
Lawns
Edge the beds & lawns now, slicing the grass runners that are invading the beds.
The grass is growing steadily now,
Make sure the mower is serviced and ready for the season.
photo by SVSeekins
Before mowing, remove thatch and moss by scarifying with a lawn rake.
Set the blades to a higher setting (3cm) for the first few cuts.
Stay off or try to minimise activity on the lawn if it’s wet. It will turn to mud very quickly in the wet.
Re-seed any bare areas: scratch the surface with a lawn rake and sow.
Veg & Berry Patch
photo by SVSeekins
Get into the raspberry patch & take out the spent & spindly stems. Tidy up the bed & tie this year’s producers to the trellis.
Starts – Direct seed arugula, broad beans, corn salad, kale, chard, spinach, oriental greens, and peas outdoors.
photo by SVSeekins
Greenhouse & Cold Frames
Buy seed potatoes now and store the tubers in a light, cool (10°C), frost-free spot and leave them to sprout. (This is called chitting.) Egg cartons make good chitting trays. Make sure to put the tubers with the ‘eye’ end (where the sprouts will grow from) upwards.
Starts – asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, lettuce, peppers, eggplants… start tomatoes later in the month
photo by SVSeekins
Watch for ‘damping off’ disease in seedlings in the greenhouse or indoors. This fungus causes the stems to collapse and the seedlings to fall over.
Avoid over-crowding seeds & sprouts. It’s better to have a tray of fewer, healthier plants than to lose many to this disease
Water often, but sparingly
Ensure that seedlings get enough light to prevent them from becoming ‘leggy’.
Turn seed trays daily to ensure even growth.
photo by SVSeekins
Ponds
Remove fallen leaves and other decaying plant debris from ponds. Frogs and other aquatic life will be emerging from winter hibernation so a good tidy up now prevents stagnation & algae build-up.
photo by SVSeekinsSeasonal Color trees: flowering plum… early cherries… shrubs: forsythia… red flowering currant… silk tassel bush… camellia… viburnum spring dawn… mahonia… heathers… Pieris (lily of the valley shrub)… sarcococca… heavenly bamboo… early rhodos… cotoneaster… perennials: aubretia… basket of gold (Aurinia)… candy tuft… bergenia… hellebore… primula… winter jasmine… donkey tail spurge (euphorbia)… vinca (periwinkle)… ferns: licorice… bulbs: crocus… winter aconite (Eranthis)… Cyclamen coum… early daffodils… early species tulips… hyacinth… Chionodoxa (glory of snow)…
photo by SVSeekins
Garden shops are opening up for the season, so it’s fun to cruise them for ideas, but most of their early starts aren’t ready to go out into the garden yet, so control yourself (unless you’re up for nursing those babies inside for another month or two).
Garden Variety Life 
I wish we lived closer – would love to garden with you!
Ditto Nicole!