Turf wars

Ease into early spring by giving your lawn its first mow with the lawnmower on a high setting so that just cut the tips off the blades. This will encourage early growth whilst still protecting the roots from any surprise frosts. It also allows you to check the condition of your lawn and to tackle some of these common issues:

Weeds:

Grab a trowel and dig out larger weeds such as dandelion, docks, greater plantain and thistles, making sure you get all of the roots and runners. If you have a severe infestation, then spot use of a weedkiller is recommended, or, if you are after a natural remedy, apple cider vinegar mixed with water does the trick.

Moss:

Too much moss can make your lawn feel wet and spongy. Apply a reputable moss killer to the worse effected patches and then wait until the moss has died back and blackened. Now you can rake it out by hand, or, if you have a widespread problem hire an automated scarifier.

Bare patches:

Scarifying can leave bare patches, as can a well-walked path during the wetter winter months. The best solution is to overseed these, making sure you choose the correct grass seed for your garden. Simply scuff up the surface with a rake, scatter over the seed and water regularly.

Continue to mow on a high setting, straighten your edges and push in some wildflower plugs under trees or in a sheltered corner so you can delight in small patches of colour that will also encourage pollinators to visit your home turf.

Great expectations

In the depths of February, it is all too easy to believe that your garden will never come back to life, but don’t be fooled as just below the surface, delicate new life is starting to unfurl. Tender shoots will be reaching for the light, some just peeping through the soil, their brilliant green tips cloaked by the dark dank earth. If a cold snap is forecast, then they are best left gently covered with leaves so rather than getting stuck into tidying your borders, warm up by dividing clumps of herbaceous perennials and cutting back deciduous ornamental grasses such as Miscanthus.

March brings with it an expectancy of spring and although you need to be careful of late frosts, it’s time to get busy and to reacquaint yourself with the garden’s structure and form. Prune and tie in both climbing and shrub roses, cut back late-summer and autumn

Tales from the potting shed

February

Prune winter-flowering shrubs

Divide snowdrops

Cut back perennials and grasses flowering clematis, and give everything a good mulch. Not only does this help new growth, it also helps keep down the weeds. And, best of all, pick a sunny day and give the lawn a mow – nothing shouts ‘SPRING’ louder than the smell of freshly cut grass!

With its promise of sunshine and showers, April is a delightful time to be in the garden. The fresh green foliage of the trees adds a brilliance to the filtered sunlight, and everything feels poised, ready to burst into full flower. Beds are already filling with colour so take time to delight in the beauty of a drift of tulips, the scent of hyacinths that only last year graced your Christmas table, the shortlived lilac blossom that perfumes the evening air, and the little forget-me-nots that brighten the borders with their tiny blue blooms.

March

Mulch beds

Prune climbing and shrub roses

Mow the grass

April

Outdoor sow vegetables

Sow hardy annuals

Pressure wash benches