The garden calendar

A garden needs year-round attention, and it’s a good idea to have a fixed time each year when you tackle certain jobs. You could use important dates as a guide – such as the start of spring on 1 March, which is when new shoots start to emerge. Ice Saints in mid-May is when night frosts should come to an end, and your non-hardy plants can go outside. The summer solstice on 21 June is also an important milestone in the garden season. We’ve set out the most important jobs for you so that you know what you should be doing month by month.

Spread sand instead of salt to prevent soiling in borders and paving
Don’t walk on the lawn in frost and snow to prevent damage
Feed the birds, as there are few insects around at this time of year
Water plants, that you are overwintering indoors
Pot heathers and winter pansies if there’s no risk of frost
Protect sensitive plants from heavy frost with straw, mulch, bark chips, or plastic
Prune shrubs if there’s no risk of frost
Scatter lime over the lawn to restore the acidity
Otherwise, leave the garden alone to rest over winter Prepare for spring and order everything you need now.

Another winter month, so most of January’s frost-related tips apply in February too
Scatter lime over the lawn
Prune fruit trees
Lay paving or a new patio on days when there’s no frost
Check and maintain fences, sheds, etc.
Clean out nest boxes ready for spring
Dig the soil in the vegetable garden and borders and apply compost
Pull up the first weeds

Pull out weeds, use a patio knife to get between pavers
Prune roses
You can fertilise throughout March
It’s also a good month to lay paving (again)
Remove dead and rotted plant parts, but don’t prune too much
Scarify the lawn (removing moss with a special rake or machine)
Make sure that your pond has plenty of oxygen, remove leaves and decaying plant parts
Start digging and applying manure and compost to the vegetable garden
Sow early growers in the borders and vegetable garden, or sow indoors
Starting now and lasting until May, you can start planting summer-blooming bulbs

Weeds, weeds, weeds – regular weeding is the best way to deal with them
The lawn needs all of your attention; scarify, fertilise, mow, and trim the edges
Fertilise the borders or add compost
Slowly accustom sensitive plants to the outdoors, but be careful of frost
Sow the first annuals
There’s work in the vegetable garden, such as sowing and weeding
You can start pruning the first shrubs, but watch out for bird nests
Pot summer bulbs
Clean your decorative clay paving with water and a broom

Don’t do too much cutting and pruning in May so that you can leave birds and their nests in peace
Sow annual flowers for summer blooms
11 to 15 May is Ice Saints, or the end of the spring frosts
You can now plant frost-sensitive pre-sown flowers, plants, and vegetables outside
Plant hanging baskets
Pot annuals in pots and borders
Keep hoeing and weeding
Climbers and other plants will need to be secured with string and/or bamboo canes

Remove old flowers and those that have finished flowering and feed plants with fertilisers
Prune water and ground shoots from trees and shrubs
You may need to mow 1-2 times a week as the grass will grow in summer heat and moisture
Boxwood, yew, and beech hedges can now be pruned
Prune before the summer solstice (21 June) to give the plant plenty of time to regrow
Weed with care so as not to disturb seeds close to the ground
Water if there are drought conditions, but not during daylight hours and not too frequently. This will ensure deeper and stronger roots

Water well, but ideally in the morning to prevent the leaves from being scorched and to avoid fungus
For the same reason, don’t mow the lawn too short
Refill the pond if it is low
Remove aphids with a good jet of water
Cut back grapevines for a better harvest in the autumn
Enjoy the garden! Pick flowers and harvest herbs and vegetables

Be aware of the risk of drought and water plants with captured rain water where possible, rather than tap water
Harvest seeds from plants that have finished flowering
Is there enough oxygen in your pond? A filter pump can help to maintain levels
Consider securing top-heavy plants
Now is a good time to plant and prune conifers

You shouldn’t be fertilising now, allow the garden to rest
Continue mowing, but remove the trimmings to prevent the lawn from suffocating
You can now give your yew and boxwood a second pruning
Harvest fruit
Prune fruit trees after harvest (especially stone fruits)
Now is the time to harvest vegetables and work the ground
Start cutting and dividing plants for next year

Plant spring bulbs before the first frost
Prune standard roses, walnut trees, and trim long branches before the autumn storms set in
Pull a net over the pond to prevent leaves and protect the pump from frost
Take frost-sensitive plants inside
This month is the time to harvest vegetables and fruit
Plant roses, trees, and shrubs
Tidy borders, divide plants, and plant new plants
Remove annuals

Cover (underground) plants in borders and the vegetable garden with straw to protect from frost
Clean garden furniture and bring it inside or cover it, if necessary
Thoroughly clean paving as algae and leaves can make it slippery
Remove leaves from the lawn to prevent the grass from suffocating
Plant bulbs and hardy bloomers like hellebores and pansies
Remove the hose and shut off the outdoor tap to protect it from frost
Prune currants
Dig the soil in the vegetable garden and allow it to rest
Put feeders out

Rake the lawn, but do not walk over the grass in frost
Cover vulnerable plants with foil if heavy frost is forecast
Snow protects borders but can dump plenty from branches
Clean and grease tools
Start preparing for spring – this is the time to start thinking about new paving and plants

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