Canada FR
USA
UK
New Zealand
Australia
Every year, sometime in late February, I'm out in the garden - and then it happens. I experience that moment. I feel that something is different: the changing of the seasons, the beginning of spring. And so I prepare my garden for the coming year.
WEEDING
When weeds start to grow, it's a good sign. It means that the weather - and thus the soil - is getting warmer. That's why now is the best time to take precautions and prevent weeds from getting out of control in late spring and summer. Unfortunately, I don't always follow my own advice. From bitter experience, I know that it's much easier to get rid of weeds when they are still in their early stages, before they really spread and literally make a green mess. For this, I use a small hand hoe. I use it to work between the plants. I always keep mine particularly sharp so I can easily cut through the weeds.
A CUTBACK IS NOT ALWAYS BAD
Many of us now forgo the major autumn pruning and leave our perennial plants and ornamental grasses to winter. They have a beautiful structure and look simply magnificent in frost on a cold morning, not to mention their benefit to wildlife. If you've done the same, now is the time to prune the plants so that new growth can thrive this year. The later you do this task, the more careful you should be not to accidentally cut off fresh shoots!
HE WHO SOWS THE SEED...
One of the most optimistic, if not the most optimistic, tasks in the garden is probably sowing seeds. The magic of seeds still impresses me after years of gardening. Within a few weeks, tiny dried seeds turn into vast quantities of plants - which is why growing from seed is so rewarding. If you are looking for easy-to-grow plants that flower quickly, I recommend calendula with its bright orange flowers, cornflower 'Black Ball' with its dark purple, almost black flowers, or lupins, which often bloom in their first year and return year after year as perennial plants.
BUYING PLANTS
While growing plants from seed is great, it takes time and young plants need a lot of love and attention. As spring begins, you'll find more and more great plants on offer at garden centres, with which you can immediately transform your garden beds and containers with interesting colours and scents. When you buy plants, you not only save a lot of time, but you also support growers and the horticultural industry.
STAY AT IT
This may sound a bit strange, but wherever I can, I leave or store items near where I will need them later. Hand tools in the greenhouse, where I have them quickly at hand for planting or weeding; sticks in a corner of the vegetable garden within reach; hose connected and ready to use. When I have a lot to do in the garden, "friction points" like searching for the garden trowel or trying to untangle the hose waste time and sometimes even stop me from doing the task at all. It makes a big difference to prepare early. You are more productive and every job is easier to do.
Springtime is garden time. So take the opportunity: enjoy your own garden, prepare for the coming year and look forward to what awaits you this year.
BIO
Niall is a gardener and launched the "Niall Gardens" channel on YouTube. He presents features on television and radio and is the winner of the "Alan Titchmarsh New Talent of the Year Award 2022" from the Garden Media Guild.
Related Products