March in the Garden
March is the time for: Bulbs, blossoms, pruning, planting, mowing, moving.
March arrives and brings spring with it, the garden begins to glow with colour, days get longer, trees come into blossom and the grass begins to grow.
We’ll be getting the last of the winter pruning done in the early days of March, and we’ll begin with the spring pruning of hydrangeas, hebes and evergreens and shrubs that flower on this year’s growth. It’s also the perfect time to look at those shrubs worst affected by the hard frosts we’ve had this winter. Pittospurum and Hebe seemed to have suffered most regularly and now is a good time to give them a good hard cut back and see if they produce shoots and new growth or if they are beyond repair. Do pay attention to overnight temperatures as any late frosts will really harm these plants, cover with garden fleece to protect them.
Planting and moving; March is a great time for getting new plants in the ground and moving old ones. Hopefully you’ve spent those wet winter days thinking where your new favourite plants might go or where you’d like to move those that struggled last year, if not then we can help you decide as March is the time to do it. We can help you to find the right spot for your plants or new ones you would like. March is when the ground begins to warm up, roots begin to search for water and new shoots begin to break through.
Mowing, as a rough marker St Patricks day on the 17th of March is the day to get the mower out and give your lawn its first mow, abide by the guide of never taking more than a third and you’ll never go far wrong.
If you’ve a longer lawn and want to get a head start, then you can get away with making a few lighter cuts in the first weeks in March but keep half an eye on the overnight temperatures and avoid mowing before a frost. There’s swathes of details and techniques in lawn maintenance but as with all gardening, if you do it little and often then you won’t go wrong; however, if you’d like help with your lawn care then let us know and we can care for your lawn as we do for the rest of your garden.
We hope you have a wonderful March and enjoy seeing the garden changing around you.
Do get in touch if you have any questions about your garden or would like some help bringing it to its best, we’d love to help.
The majestic Hellebore in it’s winter glory
Exciting buds appearing on this Elderflower
Roses should be showing their new shoots and be nice and tidy after their pruning in February
Peony shoots making an appearance
Sweet Pea saplings have shot up in the last week after sewing indoors in mid February. Looking forward to this year’s display
Have a wonderful March, from the team at Mackintosh Martin Gardening