Start with the soil
March is when the ground starts to warm up, but it is often still wet. Before you dig, squeeze a handful of soil: if it holds together in a sticky ball, give it another week or two. Working waterlogged soil squashes out the air that roots need.
Once it crumbles, fork over empty beds lightly and spread a five centimetre layer of well-rotted compost or manure. There is no need to dig it in. Worms will do that job for you over the next few months.
The first cut of the year
Set the mower to its highest setting for the first cut and only take the tips off. Cutting too short now stresses the grass just as it starts growing, and invites moss and weeds into the gaps.
- Rake out dead thatch and moss once the lawn is dry
- Re-cut edges with a half-moon edger for a crisp finish
- Hold off on feeding until April, when growth is steady
What to prune now, and what to leave
Late-flowering shrubs such as buddleja, hardy fuchsias and late clematis can be cut back hard now. Leave spring-flowering shrubs like forsythia until after they have bloomed, or you will cut off this year's flowers.
A good rule of thumb: if it flowers before midsummer, prune it after flowering. If it flowers after midsummer, prune it in early spring.
Planting and sowing
Hardy perennials, shrubs and bare-root roses can all go in now. Sweet peas and broad beans can be sown outside in sheltered London gardens, while tomatoes and chillies are best started on a sunny windowsill.
If you would like a hand getting beds ready, our spring garden tidy-up covers weeding, cutting back and mulching in a single visit.
Written by Tom Green
One of the GreenScape gardeners, writing up what we are seeing in London gardens this season.