Local Answer March 2023

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In The Garden

Cut back perennials and ornamental grasses to make way for new growth. Plant summer flowering bulbs in well prepared soil. If you have wet soil place a layer of grit in the bottom of the planting hole.

Enliven your garden with some new varieties of herbaceous perennials such as hardy geraniums, heuchera, poppies etc. Have a continuous supply of flowers for cutting and bringing indoors by either planting suitable perennials such as lupins and delphiniums or by sowing annuals such as cosmos, gypsophila, nicotiana, helichrysum, etc. This is the best month for planting new roses but never plant a new rose in soil that has grown a rose previously as the new one will suffer from rose transplant sickness. If you must have a rose in a particular place then you will have to change the soil at least 3ft all around the planting hole and 3ft deep. Much easier to find a new home. Prune established bush and standard roses and add a rose fertiliser around the base of the plant. Prune summer flowering shrubs such as buddleia, lavatera, hardy fuchsia and perovskia. Remove any plain green stems from variegated shrubs otherwise they will eventually revert to all green. Cut off the heads only of daffodils that have finished flowering. Leave all the foliage in place for at least six weeks so that the bulb can renew its energy for flowering next year.

Check that your mower is in good working order. Raise the mowing height for the first cut of the season. New lawns can be made using turf but it is best to wait until late in the month or even into April before sowing grass seed. Towards the end of the month feed the lawn with a high nitrogen fertilizer.