Order summer flowering bulbs & seeds

It’s the perfect task for a wet and windy winter’s day. Flowers like lilies, gladioli and ranunculi can all be ordered in the winter for early-spring planting. Make the most of those days you’re stuck indoors to browse catalogues or websites for inspirational new varieties of seeds and bulbs to plant and grow this year. 

The best flowers to plant in the spring.

• Pansies, Marigolds, Petunias, Zinnias, Sunflowers, Sweet Pea, Gladiolus, Hydrangeas

Seeds to plant in March and April:

• Carrot, beetroot, kale, leeks, broccoli, horseradish, chicory, and turnips. Spring onions are also great early vegetables to plant in March, as well as spinach (make sure the soil is enriched with organic matter), peas, shallots and parsnips.

Tidy up flower beds and borders

Have a general tidy up, removing leaves and other debris from flower beds and borders. 

You can cut back the old dead growth of deciduous grasses and herbaceous perennials now, although, if you’d like to be wildlife friendly, it’s best to leave these until early spring.

Clear borders and beds back to bare soil. Put the dead organic matter you’ve cleared away into your compost pile or bin to break down. 

Remove any weeds you can see. Don’t compost them as the seeds will germinate and cause you more problems later on.

Install water butts and start collecting rainwater

Install a water butt in your garden this winter to make the most of rainfall. Most of the year’s rain falls in winter, so now’s the time to collect it! Harvesting rainwater is essential for environmentally friendly gardening. Peak demand for water in the hotter months often forces water companies to resort to groundwater reserves and streams, which is harmful to the environment and costly for consumers.