March is here, hip hip hooray, the garden calls you out to play!

FIRST THINGS FIRST: FIX WINTER DAMAGE

If you haven't done it yet, quickly get to removing all fabrics and other covers that protected your beloved plants from snow and frost. It's not just you who needs to swap the winter coat for a lighter spring jacket!

Tip: Are you sure all your tools are still in good condition? How about a little spring inventory?

YOUR LAWN IS CRAVING A TRIM

Snow cover can no longer hide your lawn. So it needs a bit of attention again to look great! Once the lawn dries out sufficiently during sunny days, give it a spring cut. Don't forget to rake up the mown grass and use it for compost, for example.

If you find spots where mould has formed, remove it with a rake. For more extensive intervention, special sprays will help! To help new grass grow nicely, it's good to fertilise the lawn.

Tip: Before you indulge in the first mowing, try a scarifier, a device that aerates the grass nicely and removes old grass and moss. Lime application also helps against moss!

TREES AND SHRUBS ARE ALREADY WAITING FOR YOU

Just like the lawn, trees also crave spring pruning! First and foremost, remove all dead branches. Then thin out mainly old, diseased, or downward-growing branches. And to make the care complete, also give your woody plants some fertiliser, nice and proper under the tree crowns!

Because not only autumn, but precisely the March spring weather favours planting all fruit trees and shrubs, get on with it. Apricots or peaches, for example, can't wait anymore! What about a hedge? If you're planning to get one, it's the ideal time for it too!

Tip: But with vines or ornamental deciduous trees, it's better to wait until the end of the month or early April.

DON'T SLACK ON THE BEDS

Beds won't play their main role until April, but even now you can give them some caring preparation. You'll surely reap the glory yourself then! To help especially future annuals thrive, loosen the soil preferably with a hoe. Then get rid of weeds and last but not least, don't forget fertiliser! Beds serving vegetables will certainly appreciate loosening too, but otherwise let them rest.

PRE-GROW YOUR SUMMER BEAUTIES

Already during the first March days, you can pre-grow annuals. They'll bloom beautifully for you early in summer. This mainly applies to those that are sensitive even to spring frosts. You can sow them on a windowsill or in a cold frame. At the end of the month, you can already be bold and plant ornamental flowers directly in the garden!

BET ON GOOD WEATHER AND PLANT AWAY!

March has been reigning for a few days now, commanding that it's time for planting a wide range of vegetables. At the beginning of the month, you still have one last chance to plant broccoli or pepper seeds, so don't miss it! Around mid-March, you can start growing melons or tomatoes. If the sun isn't taking a holiday, try carrots, radishes, or lettuce. You can get busy in a polytunnel, greenhouse, or cold frame.

From the second half of March, with favorable weather, you no longer need to fear outdoor beds and can boldly start sowing carrots, parsley, spinach, peas, onions, garlic, basil, or dill!

Tip: To protect seeds from unexpected frosts, use white garden fleece, which will shield them and also prevent pests.

Image source:

http://www.yellowpages.ca/tips/methods-for-maintaining-garden-tools/