Maintenance

Night frost

Beware of night frost! Protect plants which are sensitive and possibly already flowering with garden fleece if a night frost is forecast.

Support for perennials

It’s best to put in supports now for perennials which will grow tall. 

Sort out plant troughs

Lots of annuals are available to buy – although its best to wait until the days are warmer and longer as this is when they will start growing well.  In the meantime, now is a good time to get the pots and troughs ready for planting (rinse, ensure good drainage, put fresh potting soil in them).

Spring-clean

If you have not done so yet, now is certainly the time to clean the garden, the patio and the garden furniture.

It is still an excellent time for sowing a new lawn or restoring a lawn. Now is also ideal to aerate. The grass will recover very quickly. Rake the gravel thoroughly to stop the first weed growth.

Tiles with algae

Flagstones and all sorts of other stepping stones and tiles can become green and slippery during the winter. Turn them over now to get rid of the problem. The green underside will then automatically be cleaned by creatures in the soil, so that you can repeat this trick every year.

Pond

Turn on the pump in the pond and start the pond filter.