MARCH 2026

We have passed St David’s Day and spring has arrived, though with the mild temperatures of late I think the garden has been stepping into spring with some determination this year.

Through the winter I avoid stepping onto the soil as much as possible as this creates compaction causing long term damage to the soil structure, but I have been able to get the first of the post-winter weedings done, and managed the first long cut of the lawns to steer the garden back to where we’d like it.

March is always a good time to get jobs done, and so this month the garden will get a full weed through to clear it of the weeds from winter and the small germinating seedlings. There will of course be plenty more weeds through the year, but it’s always good to start with a clean space. I tend to see weeds as a sign of a healthy garden, if none appeared it would be a truly desolate place. What can be composted is taken to our hot composts to break down, but things like buttercups, bindweed or ground elder are burned.

There is often debate over whether trees and shrubs should be planted in spring or autumn. With the milder winters we have in the UK I’m inclined to say autumn is a better time as it gives the plants an extra few months of root growth before hotter, drier temperatures arrive. However if you have trees and shrubs waiting that need to be planted then now is the time to do it as it will save you a lot of watering in the summer.

Make a hole in the ground slightly larger than the rootball, and about 10cm deeper than the rootball. You want the top level of the rootball to be at the soil level, but the extra depth allows for the addition of compost or well-rotted manure in the base to give an initial boost to the plant. Take care not to make the hole too big or the plant will move too much in the softer earth and struggle to put down roots.

Once the earth is backfilled firm-down and water thoroughly, ‘puddling’ the water around the plant base to help settle the soil around the roots. Water the plant regularly in its first year to help it establish. If the plant is tall, say over 1m, then a stake may be added for additional support on the south-western side (the prevailing wind direction in the UK). A low angled stake is a useful option as it will give the rootball added stability but allow a little movement encouraging the plant to form routes in those directions. It also allows flex in the main stem, which encourages the plant to thicken and strengthen; this in the long term makes for a far stronger and more resilient plant.

March is a good point to think about the herbaceous perennials in the garden. If you are seeking to divide them either for propagation reasons or in order to rejuvenate them then the clumps should now be starting to sprout making it easier to see where divisions may be taken, and any potential planting spaces in the garden should be more evident.

Finally to seeds: depending on your planting schemes some gardens may require little seed sowing, others with a large quantity of annual and biennial displays will have a lot of seed sowing ahead. As we at Blackbrook have indoor sowing space March is when we sow our largest number of seeds, but it is also a time when hardy seeds can be sown in-situ outdoors. Make sure the sowing areas are free of weeds, that the soil is a fine, moist tilth and protect the sowings from birds.

This is a good month to be out in the garden so enjoy the warmth and light of the spring sunshine, and see the garden thrive.