March: spreading the dark stuff!

I moved a lot of mulch this week: well, to be more accurate, the gardening team with me helping a bit did. 10 cubic metres of it in fact.

That is a lot of hot baths, ibuprofen and ice packs.

The satisfaction comes from not only seeing tidy borders with a carpet of compost on them but knowing that the annual weeds can’t get a grip on the borders for a season.

Mulch comes in all shapes and forms. It is essentially a layer that prevents airborne seeds contacting the soil; it can improve the structure of the soil if it is organic and can help retain moisture and warmth. Organic mulch includes well-rotted horse manure, shredded branches, twigs and crop residues, coconut fibre, bark chippings and purpose-blended leftovers garden waste.

Old carpets, cardboard, geo-textile matting and even paper can also be used as weed suppressants though they are not very pretty.

Now is the time to mulch: the vegetation on deciduous plants have largely not re-appeared making access easier and the pressure of keeping on top of everything when the growing really gets underway, has not yet built up.

There is definitely a bit of a smug “aaahhhhh”moment when it is mission accomplished.

This is a contrast to the hysterical “AAAGGHHHHH” moment that comes later in the season when it feels like it is all getting out of hand.

So – it is a good idea to get ahead with the tasks that you can do now:

• Keep planting bare-root trees and shrubs but wait until the end of the month before you plant or move evergreens.

• Cut back dogwood and willow shrubs with the vibrant stems if you want them to produce strong colours next winter. Taking them down as far as 100mm (4 inches) from the ground is fine. (The ‘Winter Flame’ varieties should be left for a few years until they are established). You can leave this till late in the month or even next month if you are enjoying the stem colours.

• When the worst of the frosts are over, divide and replant clumps of herbaceous plants that have become too dense for their own good.

• In heavy soil and cold areas, march is the best month for planting roses. Prune bush roses by about a third of their height.

• In preparation for the new growth and flowering in the summer, prune Buddleja, Caryopteris, Ceratostigma, Hydrangea paniculata, Leycesteria, Lavatera, Perovskia and hardy Fuchsia. Look up how far back they should be pruned: this will vary according to what you are trying to achieve and the location of the plant. A general rule of thumb is 80% of their existing foilage.

• Mow lawns but on a high cut setting and not when frosts are about to appear as it will damage the lawn.

• Plant and divide snowdrops and winter aconites.

• Plant summer flowering bulbs and sow some seeds such as sweet peas.

• Cut back ornamental grasses, even if they do not look unruly, as this will make way for new growth.

• If the dry weather persists, be prepared to do some unseasonal watering of newly planted out plants.

There is another type of “aaahhgggg” moment which involves a kettle and stretching out on a flat surface. Followed by the last one at the Osteopath. Let’s just leave that one for now.

February: keepin' feet dry!

A lorry load of 1.5m tall Yews (Taxus baccata) turned up for planting this week – 88 of them in fact! I am fortunate to have a great team and a strong youth to help!

I did, however, have an important lesson to learn. A previous Yew hedge had suffered greatly in a wet winter with several plants dying. After much head scratching, we remembered that they had been planted by another team – and were planted way too deep.

Taxus do badly when their feet are in wet soil for prolonged periods. If they are also planted with the soil level way too far above the first roots, you are asking for trouble.

If planted too deeply, all plants will put a great deal of energy into trying to send out new roots to facilitate a regular intake of gases at a certain level. So, new plants in these conditions will be stressed by high moisture levels and the extra energy needed for new root growth.

If you are in doubt as to where the “nursery line” is (the natural soil level for the plant), take a careful look at the lower stem and you should be able to see a change in colour just above the highest roots.

Now is an excellent time to plant bare root roses and hedging, so it is useful to be mindful of the above. Other jobs to think about this month are:

• In milder areas, or when the warmer weather starts appearing, most hardy shrubs with hollow stems, such as Buddleja davidii and Perovskia can be pruned this month.

• Plant bare-root roses: adding organic matter will boost growth.

• Climbers that have become oversized can be cut back hard: honeysuckle and Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus respond well to this treatment).

• Whilst the tawny coloured stems of ornamental grasses such as Miscanthus and Calamagrostis are a joy to behold in the winter months, especially in the winter sunlight early spring is the time to cut them back to ground level. Wait until new growth can be seen before applying the chop.

• Clean up bamboo where stems have died back or collapsed over winter.

• Trim heathers after they have flowered to keep them compact and vigorous.

• Divide snowdrops to distribute them over a wider area.

• Cut back shrub roses by about one third, pruning to just above an outward pointing bud, trying to create an open, “bowl” shape to the rose. Cut off any suckers emerging from the root stock.

• Bird life will be looking to nest in spring so ensure all hedge trimming and renovation is completed by the end of the month.

February can feel like a long, unproductive month. But have a look at all the buds that are swelling, the number and variety of snowdrops and daffodils that are emerging, the lengthier days to enjoy walks and the catkins on the hazels, you will soon find that we are at the beginning of the season of nature’s miracles. Well, that’s what it looks like to me anyway.

January 2025: bright and beautiful?

It can all seem rather dismal in January: energy is low, bills are high, not much sunlight and apparently, not much to entice anybody outside on the gloomy days either!

On further inspection, there are however, a whole range of treats to enjoy. Because there are fewer flowers at this time of year, many plants attract pollinators through scent. These Latin names may not mean much but keep an eye (and nose) out for the following:

- Sarcococca (“winter box” - small white flowers on evergreen stems)

- Mahonia (yellow flowers ranging from the small “Soft Caress” to the largest Japonica)

- Viburnum fragrans (the clue is in there somewhere: pink flowers on a tall, erect bush)

- Chimonanthus praecox (“wintersweet”, small yellow flowers)

- Hamamelis (“witch hazel”, wild looking, spidery flowers, highly fragrant)

You don’t need mind altering drugs at this time of year: just stick your honker into one of the above. It is a lot cheaper too. Both the Sarcococca and the Mahonia are ok in deep shade too – another good reason to include them even in the smallest of spaces.

So when you are not getting heaven scent, there are very earthly jobs to do:

• Brush and spread worm casts that appear on the lawn.

• Prune Wisteria: cut back summer-pruned shoots to 2 or 3 buds from their base. This encourages short branches (flowering spurs). Best to avoid pruning older, thicker wood unless you have to.

• Tie in any climbing roses that have become loose and unruly. To do this, shorten flowering side shoots by two thirds and remove about a third old branches at the base.

• Cut new edges to the lawn where needed: the soil will be damp and therefore easier to slice.

• Keep your lawn as free from old leaves and debris as possible: these can inhibit light and cause mould.

• Mole activity is most obvious in January and February due to mating and nest making. Remove the earth mounds and sow grass seed in spring.

• Spike areas of the lawn that are prone to water logging using a fork

• Be careful not to tread on areas where bulb shoots are emerging.

• Check tree ties and stakes. The cold winter winds can knock newly established plants all over the place. Give plants added protection if necessary.

• Plant bare-root trees, shrubs and fruit.

• Make the most of the lack of vegetation on most plants to get into shrubberies to remove brambles and self-seeded saplings.

And when you head back indoors…why not pick a few sprigs off a scented bush and put them in a vase on the table? Why not spread the joy?

December: Happy Christmas!

I had the privilege of visiting some plant suppliers in the summer: what was clear was how much the plant palette was changing – and probably for the better.

There were fewer hard work, high maintenance plants such as Delphiniums being grown and more (yes, you’ve guessed it) climate change resistant varieties available. Among the winners were more grasses – a huge range of them.

Increasingly, grasses are being incorporated into contemporary designs, including my own. The options are impressive: from tall feathery types that have plumes and sway in the wind (e.g., Miscanthus) to low evergreens that will survive the harshest conditions (e.g., Carex).

Correct maintenance is the key to having successful grasses: some need a spring chop back; some need thinning out with a rake each year and others can be just left alone to do their own thing. It is best to check the best method when buying the plant.

The rewards are obvious – winter interest, spring colour, summer shows and autumn colours are all available from different varieties at different times of year.

And generally, very little faffing about!

Jobs to do this month include:

• Birches, vines and Japanese maples are best pruned at this time of year. Vines are less likely to bleed sap.

• Renovation of climbing roses is best done between now and February by thinning and reducing stems by approximately one third and taking out dead and diseased stems. Look up the RHS site for more details.

• Bare root trees and shrubs can be planted now. This is a very economical way of establishing hedges, especially as wildlife boundaries.

• With the chances of high winds growing more likely, it is sensible to ensure that all trees are properly tethered and climbers and cut back and tied in.

• Protect your outdoor taps from frost by covering them with hessian or bubble wrap: it is the expansion of the water when it turns to ice that bursts a pipe.

• A log or a football in a pond will prevent the total coverage of ice during a frozen spell. Ensure the log or football can be reached and removed!

• Be careful when you are tidying up a shed or having a bonfire: all sorts of creatures may be making their homes for the winter there.

• A stack of logs building materials (especially clay tiles and pipes) offer overwintering bugs a hotel for the cold months!

Wishing you a very good and restful Christmas and a bountiful New Year!

October / November: delaying autumn!

A bricklayer working on a garden recently said to me: “We need to have another season: there needs to be a new one between summer and autumn”.

Out of the mouths of babes and bricklayers come such pearls.

I have been hesitant to post any top-tips for October as it has been so unlike the beginning of autumn. Designing gardens in Hampshire isn’t always straightforward!

So now I am listing the tasks for both October and November to cover all options. One good thing to emerge from all this is that we have had more time to get bulb planting done: in the last week I have been part of efforts to plant at least a couple of thousand of them. Much to look forward to by local community groups and country gardens.

It is still mild enough to divide herbaceous plants and to make the most of nature’s bounty: I am still staggered how many small plants you can get from a divided Geranium and how, in turn they can be multiplied again. The gift that keeps on giving – and there are hundreds of plants that are possible to divide: Asters, Bergenia, Campanula, Echinops…to name but a few!

• Now is the time of year to prune Japanese maples. Make sure you cut right back to the branch or stem so as not to leave a “clothes peg”!

• Raking leaves can seem to be an endless task, but it is worth it. Firstly, it allows the lawn to breathe and reduces the chance of mould developing in your lawn. Secondly, the leaves are good news in a compost heap when a layer of soil is added every 30 cm or so.

• Burning leaves is another way of processing them: the ash is good for the soil as it is high on potassium - the element that encourages fruit and flowers. Add any diseased plant material to the fire too including rose leaves that have black spot.

• Put rabbit guards on new trees to stop them gnawing at the bark if food is scarce in a harsh winter. Check tree ties too: loosen one that are too tight as this restriction can inhibit the flow of sap and therefore nutrients, around the tree.

• Prune shrub and standard roses by about a third in order that the wind does not move them around and damage the root system.

• Lift pots and containers off the ground by a few centimetres and give them “feet” of tiles or stone to avoid water logging. Pots that are fragile should have their winter wrap to prevent frost damage: bubble wrap is effective.

• Continue to mow lawns until the frosts come in, raising your blade to the maximum height as the month goes on.

• Put out bird feed such as fat balls or hanging peanut feeders.

• If you are into gin (I’m sure not!), now is a good time to go foraging for sloes – those wonderful bluish berries that adorn hedgerows at this time of year.

• When the frosts really do kick in, be prepared by protecting tender perennials with mulch, straw or bark chippings. Salvias and Penstemons are particularly vulnerable.

• Give your compost heap a good turning over. If the compost has rotted down well enough and has a high enough level of humus (the dark, nutrient rich essence that retains moisture and attracts trace elements), then autumn is a good time to spread it on the borders as a mulch.

• Rake the leaves off ornamental lawns to allow light and air to circulate and prevent patches of mildew developing.

• Lifting and dividing overgrown perennials that have lost their vigorous core.

• With the colder weather arriving, it is coming into the time when it is safe to lift and move trees and shrubs. Be careful not to allow the roots to dry out.

• Check tree ties and stakes in preparation for windy weather to come.

• Aerating the lawn either with a dedicated tool or the good old method of jumping on a fork will improve drainage and so the health of the grass.

• Burn dead and diseased leaves and debris (if the neighbours are happy with this!). This basic garden hygiene will keep down the levels of blackspot and scab. Wait until November 5th if you need to!

• Keep as many leaves as possible off the pond and watch out for hungry herons who can puncture your pond liner when fishing: fake herons can be effective if you move them every month.

• Tulips can still be planted out in the next few weeks: sometimes they are best displayed in pots and are certainly easier to weed, lift and protect like this.

It may seem as if it is raining the whole time now: in fact, most mornings here have been dry and offer plenty of opportunity to get into the borders: best walk on planks or boards to avoid compressing the soil and wrecking it’s “structure”.

And I’ll ask the brickie if he thinks it’s autumn yet.

September: Indian summer?

So, while Rishi is enjoying a warm state visit, we may be in for an Indian summer ourselves. It is summer, but not necessarily at the right time of year for most families!

Plants have however, flourished in this spell of warmth and the showers have sped up growth on the wanted and unwanted in the garden. I have had a late campaign to get on top of the bindweed: putting small transluscent, biodegradable bags over the last 150mm of bindweed and giving them bags a spray of Glyphosate means the plant will rapidly take in the weedkiller and knock it back. I would much rather hoe it out but time, sciatica and an overwhelming growth of bindweed has meant resorting to a habit I probably should phase out.

But it does give me a head start for next season!

The sheer pleasure of being out in the warmth has given me increased incentive to be out in the garden and away from designing Hampshire gardens - and there is plenty to do too!

• Plan, buy and plant spring flowering bulbs such as daffodil, crocus and iris over the next couple of months. Leave the Tulips until November – unless we get another drought or Indian summer. In which case, delay them all by several weeks!

• Beech and hornbeam can be given a light trim to keep them neat throughout the winter. As semi-evergreens they provide useful screening

• Deadheading will still produce results, especially with Dahlias that can look good until the first frosts.

• Be selective when cutting back your herbaceous plants: many of them will provide seeds for wildlife as well as being attractive in the winter frosts and sunlight

• Raking out the thatch from your lawn (scarifying) and using a fork or an aerator to spike your lawn will improve drainage and the quality of your lawn. Where there are bare patches, sowing seed over spread topsoil and feeding the lawn in spring will give a fresh, green appearance.

• Divide herbaceous perennials that have become too big for their spot: it is remarkable how many plants can be teased out of one large clump. Be generous and give some of it away: you are very likely to have the compliment returned.

• If you have a pond near a tree, it is worth placing a net over the water to catch the leaves when they descend in autumn

• Eke out the last colour in your pots and hanging baskets by trimming off the dead growth and feeding with liquid fertiliser.

Indian summer? A bit of G& Indian Tonic sounds in order really. Cheers.

August: weeds galore!

One of the troubles with having an intermittently wet summer is that it is hard to get weeds under control.

This is not such a problem if you have moved away from using chemical sprays with an active ingredient such as glyphosate, commonly found in the product marketed as Round-up. In this method, three to four hours of dry weather is needed for the green material of a plant to absorb the glyphosate and to then make its way into the system, including and importantly, the roots. (Hence it being categorized as a systemic weedkiller).

There is increasing evidence that exposure to glyphosate can be harmful, even carcinogenic - so whilst it is efficient, it also has its risks. However, organic substitutes are not problem free: using concentrated vinegar, clove oil, citrus oil and lemon juice is still pouring unnaturally strong doses of organic material into the ground and rarely finish off deep rooted plants such as docks. Likewise with using peppermint, citronella, pine, and other essential oils: making sure pets are well clear of the treated areas is another complication.

Hand weeding can be hard work but if the soil is damp weeds are far more likely to yield to being dug out. Hoeing is my weeding technique of choice: it gets me outside, gives me much needed upper body exercise (!) and if done weekly, is effective on even the most stubborn plants.

The trick is to get a well-made hoe that suits your body height and strength and to keep the blade effective with regular sharpening. It is really quite satisfying!

Tasks to do this month include:

• Dead head herbaceous plants, not forgetting dahlias and roses: these will all usually give you repeat flowering later in the year.

• Wisteria will need their summer prune. This gives a chance for light and air to ripen sturdier growth and produce better flowers. The technique is to cut back the whippier new tendrils to about 5 x buds, to just above the bud. Don’t forget that Wisterias need another chop in late winter.

• Avoid using tap water if you can when everyone in the neighbourhood is having a shower or washing up: they won’t thank you when the water pressure drops!

• Cut back rambling roses when they have finished flowering. Cut back a third of the oldest stems to the base then shorten the side stems by two thirds.

• Hedges can be given a final trim before their growth begins to slow down in September.

• Black spot on roses is very common at this time of year: clear fallen leaves and burn them to prevent spread.

• Worms will find it hard to flourish in dry summer months. Although this is a wet one, piles of grass cuttings under shrubs or hedges will still bring them into your garden where they can do the good work of helping keep the soil healthy.

• Trim conifer hedges if you have not done so already: avoid cutting into the brown wood as on most species, it will not regrow.

• Wildflower areas should be cut down at the end of the month. It is important to rake up the cut material to keep reducing the nitrogen level of the soil: this encourages the production of flowers. By leaving the cut material a day or two, seeds can drop and increase the density of flowering material for the following year.

• Keep ponds topped up with water, preferably “grey” water from wastewater – water that comes from anywhere but the toilet (showers, washing up etc).

Who knows what our future summers will be like – wet, cold, parched? Regular trips to the tool shed and into the garden will make sure that whatever occurs, you will be on top of the chores and the garden will be a place of enjoyment, not toil, trouble and strife.

July: stoppin’ n sniffin’!

There are some things that are nothing like anything else on earth.

Sciatica is one of them: I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Unfortunately, in my world, it is a professional hazard and everyone I know at the mucky end of gardening, landscaping and horticulture has suffered from it at one time or another.

There are some advantages to being laid up with an ice pack under your back and unable to do any heavy lifting: my herbs in pots are getting a new lease of life, I am lightly watering regularly and have had time to reorganize my routines. Light pruning is a huge adventure after staring at the ceiling and pill popping: soon I’ll be on to cutting back the herbaceous plants that are beginning to go over so they can produce a new flush of flowers in late summer. I can scribble out sketches as part of my designing gardens in Hampshire!

If you want to get into “stopping and staring” mode, then join in The Big Butterfly Count from 14th July to 6th August. The initiative from Butterfly Conservation aims to assemble data to aid conservation efforts and details can be found at www.bigbutterflycount.org

For those of you who are up and running, there is plenty to do at this time of year:

• Water your containers and newly planted trees and shrubs: it is surprising how quickly they will dry out.

• Deadhead roses and keep an eye out for signs of powdery mildew, blackspot or rust. Prevention is always better than cure so water, feed and pick off rust or blackspot affected leaves.

• Cut back delphiniums and hardy geraniums and other herbaceous plants with a similar habit after the first flush of flowers: this will encourage a second flowering period. Feed after cutting them back.

• Prune June-flowering shrubs such as Philadelphus and Weigela after flowering. Prune deciduous magnolias if necessary.

• Prune Wisteria in cooler areas, waiting until next month in warmer counties to prevent the plant producing too much new growth after pruning. Cut back to 5 or 6 leaves.

• Fast-growing hedges such as Leyland cypress should be clipped as necessary throughout the growing season. Clip topiary to the desired shapes.

• Box plants and hedges have been increasingly susceptible to damage by moths/caterpillars in recent years. If you find any, pick them off or spray them but be aware that warm, wet weather can cause leaf drop due to box blight fungal infection.

• If your floral displays need perking up give them a weekly shot of high-potassium liquid fertiliser. Deadhead the flowers when they are over.

• Lawn growth begins to slow this month and by mowing as little as possible, lawn “weeds” can flower providing food for pollinating insects.

• The bird population will appreciate keeping the bird bath topped up but by keeping them clean, you prevent the spread of diseases such as bird pox.

• Ponds are never maintenance-free! Thin out vigorous oxygenating plants leaving the prunings on the side of the pond to allow the aquatic creatures back into the water. Try to keep about 30% of the water clear of plants.

• Use grey water where you can, harvested from baths, sinks and showers. For hygiene purposes, use within 24 hours and not on edible crops as pathogens and bacterial growth may cause harm.

• Baby hedgehogs will be looking for sustenance this month: leaving the slugs for them to eat and ensuring ponds gently sloped access points will help.

• Move your house plants outside to somewhere sheltered and shady for the hottest months of the year. This will strengthen them against pest and diseases such as Red Spider Mite.

Some of the nicest comments I have had this year have been about dark red and deep violet Buddlejas that I have planted (commonly known as Buddleas, or butterfly bushes). The commonest varieties are prolific along railway lines, chalky motorway cuttings and any place where the alkaline landscape has been scarred by industrial activity.

They are colourful, tough, fantastically scented and reliably floriferous every year: no wonder butterflies like hanging out on them! And a good plant to convalesce next to too.

June: high and dry...

I have taken to having baths recently. This isn’t because I have developed OCD or just because there is something delicious about sitting in a chilling bath with a glass of wine in my hand: it is because I can use the water on my pot plants.

By making a small hole with a sharp knife in the bottle cap of your average large plastic bottle (cutting and twisting about one centimetre by half a centimetre) and turning the bottle upside down to leave on a pot, the water will slowly percolate out. The trouble with using a hose and a watering can is that it can be so wasteful: a great deal of water goes straight through the container and comes streaming out the base.

Over time the finer parts of compost can get washed through and out of pots leaving a gritty mix that has very little ability to retain moisture. That is why adding compost each year is important. Which I must do as I forgot to do it in the spring! Fitting a “saucer” base also helps but care must be taken not to damage plants through lack of drainage.

Other jobs this month include:

• Putting out summer bedding hanging baskets and bedding now the frosts are over.

• Cut back early flowering perennials such as delphiniums, lupins and oriental poppies after their first flowering. This will give them a chance to flower again on the new growth.

• Cutting down the stems of the spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils.

• Cutting and clipping Privet, box and evergreen honeysuckle hedges (Lonicera nitida)

• Philadelphus, Kolkwitzia, Weigela and Deutzia can all be pruned after they have flowered. In doing so the new growth will have time to develop in order that they may flower the following year.

• Give Clematis montana a good hacking if needed when they are over (they can take it!) and tie in other climbers.

• Remove stems of any variegated plants that are reverting to their original colour or the whole plant will ‘revert’.

• Divide Hosta as they come into growth and fill out any gaps in the borders with bedding.

• Give ailing plants a shot of liquid feed as that is the best way to give them a lift.

• Keep a close eye on the soil moisture levels as newly established plants can easily suffer.

• Evergreens such as Viburnum tinus and Choisya can also be cut and shaped once they have flowered.

• Roses can be deadheaded to encourage repeat flowering when they fade. Do this by cutting just above the first leaf below the faded bloom.

We may well be in for a long dry spell: the more water saving habits that become second nature, the better off everyone will be – in every sense of the word!

April / May: upwardly mobile

I have a complaint: nature does not stand still, the world does not stop spinning and the seasons do not stop changing. Which is why I seem to be permanently behind on my chores, my garden maintenance and this blog! The grass is now too long, the weeds and beginning to laugh at me and the plans I had for borders are woefully behind.

There are however some interesting observations that can be made when planning out gardens and borders: it has struck my how limited the range of plants are on offer in garden centres and on-line. I get it – people have to make a living and to do that often means playing safe, but what is easily available is only a fraction of what is out there. Designing gardens in Hampshire allows me to explore all sorts of possibilities.

Take the Azara for example: an evergreen shrub or small tree originally from the mountain ranges of Chile and Argentina with the most fantastic winter scent and an interesting shape. It is also highly drought resistant.

If you stray off the beaten track both virtually and physically to visit some of the less commercial nurseries and garden centres, your efforts will be rewarded. Smaller nurseries are often family run businesses and will offer the care, attention and information that larger ones will not.

For your information - an Azara can be picked up at Furzey Gardens in Minstead, New Forest for an incredibly good price: not only that, but you will be contributing to a charitable cause, have a glorious garden to explore and round it off with home made cake if you so choose!

So when I am not dreaming of cake, I have the following jobs to focus on this Spring:

• Pruning those plants that have been affected by cold winds and the winter such as the Acer or Choisya. Cut back the stems to the healthy growth.

• Cutting back to 10 centimetres from the ground those tender plants that are shrub-like in habit but that are actually herbaceous plants. These include Caryopteris, Fuchsia and Penstemon.

• Putting in plant supports where needed and canes to mark where vulnerable plants are emerging: by doing this they will not be overlooked when watering and weeding.

• Lowering the blade of your lawn mower as the grass becomes more lush and more able to take a finer cut.

• Feeding your lawn with a nitrogen rich fertiliser - preferably an organic one.

• Tying in roses and other climbing plants. Be as brutal as you like when cutting back Clematis montana after it has flowered (short of hacking it down to the ground!).

• Adding compost or manure to the base of shrub and standard roses.

• Dividing and replanting herbaceous plants that have flowered including Brunnera, Pulmonaria and Primula.

• Lifting and dividing daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs.

• Make sure your pond has ledges and access points for wildlife (such as tadpoles) to get in and out of the water. Clear off any excess pond weed.

· Tie in climbing and rambling roses as they take off in the warmer weather.

My only last tip about broadening your plant pallette is to keep your eyes peeled for church fetes and community days - always source of hidden gems! And….cake.