Gardening Tips for March

March is a guessing game in the garden. Will it warm up soon? Will it stay warm? Will the rains start/stop? About the only thing we can count on is that March will soon turn to April when hopefully we can all get out and about in the garden.

Planting

This month roses will begin that first bloom.

Azaleas and camellias are best planted while blooming. They began their blooming in February, so March is right in the middle of their blooming season. Please don’t feed your camellias until they have completed their blooming. If you do, they will drop all remaining buds. Fertilise to reward the plant after the blooming ends.

Spring colour plants are arriving! Brighten up your gardens with perennials and annuals. Look for perennials such as campanula, columbine, coral bells, delphinium, foxglove (digitalis), diascia, penstemon, salvia, yarrow and so much more. Great annuals to pick from include celosia, coleus, dianthus, linaria, lobelia, marigolds, nicotiana, petunias, salvias, and verbena.

There is still time for planting bulbs!

And, don’t forget to start your vegetable gardens! Veggies as the cabbage family (cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli), squash, lettuce, spinach, peppers, and cool season tomatoes will be in this month. This is also a good time not only to prune back herbs from last year, but also add in new plants such as chives, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme.

Maintenance Duties

Fertilise your lawns and roses.

Snails will coming be out to munch on the tender new growth. So stay alert.

Now is also the time to divide perennials such as agapanthus, callas, daylilies, rudbeckia, and daisies. Those with fuchsias can cut them back two-thirds toward the main branches. Remember to leave 2-5 leaf bud/scars for new growth.

You can begin pruning your ornamental shrubs (pittosporum, boxwood, etc.) for hedges. Wait to prune spring-flowering shrubs and trees until their blooming is over.

And if anyone has any specific gardening questions they would like answering, please feel free to email us; info@davidcheethamgardens.co.uk

Happy Gardening!!

Regards
David Cheetham MSGD

Bulb Planting for Spring Colour

If you want to be the envy of the neighbours next year then there is nothing more rewarding then creating a breathtaking and beautiful spring bulb display.

Most established and mature gardens will already have a range of bulbs naturalised in the boarders, under trees and even in the grass. But, there is still scope for trying out something new and even exotic to achieve some striking planting combinations.

Bulb catalogues are normally out in force at this time of the year or you can easily sign-up for them online. Spend some time cutting out pictures and arranging to create the planting combinations that not only appeal to you but also suit the growing conditions of your garden. All the information you need to know can be found in the catalogues.

In addition to tulips and daffodils, why not try other exotic Dutch bulbs, such as spring-flowering Scilla, Puschkinia, Muscari, Fritillaria, Allium, Camassia, and Eremurus. Spring-flowering bulbs offer a wide variety of colours, heights and flowering periods. So, let your imagination run wild.

And, don’t forget your containers. Containers are brilliant for bulbs as you can control the growing conditions, so this gives you a free reign to try out something different. You can plant larger containers with several layers of bulbs choosing different types that will flower one after another so keeping a fresh display for a number of months. Alternatively, try a combination of bulbs with other spring bedding plants.

As easy as 1-2-3

Most spring-flowering bulbs will thrive in either full or partial sun, but will do fine in almost any location that offers good drainage. After choosing the area:

• Dig either a trench for a bed planting, or individual holes for individual bulbs or small cluster of bulbs. To determine how deep to plant, consider the calibre or size of the bulb. Large bulbs (5 cm or more) are usually planted about 15 cm deep; smaller-size bulbs (2.5 cm) are planted 7-10 cm deep.
• Loosen the soil with a rake to aerate it and remove any weeds and small stones. Mix in a bit of peat moss to improve soil drainage. Place - do not push - bulbs firmly in the soil with the pointed side up. Space large bulbs 7-20 cm apart and small bulbs 3-7 cm apart.
• Cover the bulbs with soil and water generously if the soil is not wet. Adding a thin layer of bark or mulch will provide added protection from the cold and helps the soil from drying out.