How to Prepare your Garden for Spring

The joy of spring flowers bursting into your garden might still seem like a long way away but there’s plenty of work which can be done now which will reap rewards in months to come.

January’s weather can be challenging but those crisp winter days will offer a chance to get out, enjoy some sunlight and start preparing your garden for the seasons ahead.

The first job will be a general tidy up. Remove leaves and other debris from flower beds and borders and clear them back to the bare soil.

Then take that organic matter which has been rotting down beautifully on your compost pile and dig in a 5cm layer of compost into the cleared garden borders. It will give a nutrient boost to your garden and help to produce an abundance of flowers and shrubs come the spring and summer.

January is also the perfect time to give your greenhouse a good clean, ready for the seedlings and cuttings to be planted in the spring.

Wash the outside of your greenhouse with disinfectant to remove algae, moss and the general grime which has built up. This will let in more light during the growing months while also removing unwanted pests and disease. Make sure you disinfect the inside of the glass too and remember to ventilate your greenhouse when you get the chance.

Fence panels, gates and trellis can also be checked for signs of damage and decay and fixing them now will mean you can spend more time in the garden in spring and summer. If there’s a dry day, you could also apply a new coat of stain or wood preservative to keep them in good condition for years to come.

While it is too cold to plant out seeds in January, they can be sown in a heated propagator or greenhouse. This is a particularly good idea for the plants which need a longer growing season such as geraniums, antirrhinums, peppers and aubergines.

If you haven’t cleared out all your pots of summer bedding plants, now is the time to do so. Check them for pests, which can feed on plant roots, and destroy any larvae you find. Some plants will have outgrown their pots, so it is a good time to give them more space in bigger pots, ready for new growth in the spring.

With rain in plentiful supply, it is a good time to think about installing a water butt, beginning to start collecting water which is especially good for acidic soil-loving plants such as camellias and rhododendrons.

You might also want to begin thinking about what new additions you want to make to your garden. Visit our shop or enjoy browsing our bulbs and seeds online so you’re ready to plant them when spring beckons.

For more advice, or if you have any questions about preparing your garden for the warmer months, speak to our friendly team in store or get in touch on [email protected]