Page 14 - Oundle Life March 2021

Get gardening...
THE GARDEN IN SPRING
Spring this year feels even more eagerly awaited as we are once again following the ‘Stay at Home’ advice. March though is the month when things really start to get going
in the garden after the long dark months of winter. The sprinkling of winter blooming snowdrops and aconites are replaced with a welcome brash flash of cheery daffodils and crocus. As the season continues to gather pace, tulips, blousy blossom covering fruit trees and the ever appealing magnolia trees in fleeting bloom. As the days lengthen and the temperature begins to increase, so does the list of jobs to do in the garden.
A good starting point is your soil. Over autumn and winter, the ground gets compacted
The weather in March can still be unpredictable. You can easily see all four seasons in one day. With the threat of frosts,
by rain, frost and snow if it has fallen. Give the soil a good dig over with a gardening fork. This adds air to the
soil meaning anything you plant in it
can grow roots more easily. You can
also dig through some compost, well rotted farm manure or a multi-purpose fertiliser to add nutrients and improve the soil even more. All of these are readily available in Garden Centres now.
You can easily see all four seasons in one day
most seeds should be sewn indoors
to protect delicate, young shoots. However, onion sets, shallots and
early potatoes are some vegetables that can be planted outside already. Once April arrives with the longer hours of daylight, rising temperatures and threat of frost decreasing, many more seeds
can be planted directly outside, in both the edible and flower gardens.
Talking of flower gardens, now is the time
to buy and plant your summer flowering bulbs such as lilies, alliums and dahlias. They too can be planted straight into the ground or outside in decorative pots.
To cut the lawn or not? Your grass will look like it needs some TLC. You can definitely tidy up the edges. If (and only if) the grass is dry enough, you can give your lawn a mow with the blades on their highest setting. Later in the month and going into April is the ideal time to give your lawn a feed with a lawn fertiliser containing a high level of nitrogen.
Here’s hoping for some glorious spring sunshine so we can get out into our gardens and start getting them ready to enjoy in the warmer months just ahead.
www.thebarngardencentre.co.uk
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