With the days getting longer and warmer, spring is an ideal season to spend more time outdoors. If you need a little motivation to emerge from your winter hibernation, a new hobby could be just what you’re looking for.
Whether you have a tiny patio or a large estate, gardening can be a fun and creative activity that might also boost your health. According to research published by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), gardening could:
- Reduce mental distress, such as depression and anxiety
- Improve social functioning
- Maintain independence and prevent cognitive decline in later life.
Yet, for novice gardeners, knowing where to start may feel overwhelming.
Fortunately, this beginner’s guide to spring gardening is packed with practical tips, such as what to plant and important things to do. Keep reading to learn more.
What to plant in spring
It’s important to plan ahead if you want to enjoy your garden in full bloom – and possibly bursting with ripe fruit and veg – during the summer.
So, before you get started, it might help you to think about what you’d like to grow and how you want your garden to look as it matures.
Early spring (March and April) is an ideal time to start growing plants, flowers, and vegetables that wouldn’t survive the frost and harsh conditions of winter.
Once the days are milder and the soil has begun to warm up, you can plant:
- Hardy vegetables – Such as potatoes, onions, cabbages and carrots
- Perennials – Plants that flower year after year, for at least five years. Daylilies, stonecrop, Black-Eyed Susans, and Russian sage are some of the easiest varieties to grow
- Hardy annuals – Such as marigolds, calendulas, and California poppies
- Summer-flowering bulbs – Such as lilies and gladioli.
Take some time to research the plants that will work in the space you have. Some varieties only thrive in a particular type of soil, or with full or partial sunlight.
Also, consider your lifestyle. If you know that your time for gardening is limited, opt for low-maintenance plants that don’t require constant pruning, watering and feeding.
Your handy spring check list
Of course, there’s more to creating a beautiful garden than planting flowers and vegetables. Here are a few important tasks to check off your list this spring.
Prepare the soil for planting by weeding and mulching
As temperatures begin to rise, weeds may shoot up too.
Before planting your carefully chosen flowers and vegetables, make sure you’ve pulled up any unwanted vegetation. Unfortunately, this isn’t a once-and-done job; you’ll need to keep on top of weeds with regular hoeing at this time of year.
It’s also worth considering mulching your borders in early spring. This means spreading a layer of organic or inorganic material – such as compost, leaves, straw, or wood chips – over the soil.
Mulching can improve soil quality, suppress weeds and protect plants.
Prune shrubs, bushes and plants
A good prune could help shrubs and bushes thrive during spring and summer by encouraging fresh, healthy growth.
Start by removing dead wood and cutting back anything that has been damaged by the winter weather.
As a general rule, you can trim any shrubs that flower on new wood (branches that are yet to grow this year).
Spring is also a good time as cut back the dead stems of perennials and shear back evergreens like boxwood and juniper.
To prune, use a pair of secateurs – or a pruning saw for thick branches – and cut about 3 – 4 mm above the node (where leaves, buds and shoots grow from). Cutting at a slight downward angle will help water to run off from the cut and prevent rot from building up.
Take care of wildlife
In the UK, bird nesting season usually starts in February and lasts until August. However, this varies depending on the species of bird and the weather.
So, before you launch in with your pruning shears, always check hedges and shrubs carefully to make sure you’re not disturbing any nests.
Also, remember that creatures such as insects, frogs, and even hedgehogs, may have made your garden their home during the winter months. Being vigilant and looking out for signs of life and habitation before you start your spring tidying could help to protect any visiting wildlife.
Finally, if you have bird baths or feeders, give them a good clean at this time of year. Natural plants alone are often not enough to support birdlife, especially during spring when hungry offspring tend to arrive. Leaving a healthy source of food and water in your garden could provide a valuable lifeline to local birds such as house sparrows and blue tits.
Get in touch
It’s not only your garden that could benefit from a spring tidy, but it might also be worth sprucing up your finances too – especially with the end of the tax year just around the corner.
If you’d like help reviewing your financial plan, preparing for the tax year end, and setting goals for the future, we can help.
Please get in touch by emailing info@lloydosullivan.co.uk or call 020 8941 9779 to see how we can assist you.
Please note
This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.
All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.
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