Your Gardening Year
If you want to make the most of your garden and outdoor spaces – you’ll need to plan ahead!
Each month provides the opportunity to provide enjoyment in the months ahead – but without planning and action these opportunities can be lost, for nature’s seasons wait for nobody. If you do happen to miss out on something special this year – don’t worry, there’s always next year… as long as you remember to plan ahead and complete the necessary jobs at the right time…
Our monthly garden planner is here to help you make the most of Your Gardening Year.
January
Take advantage of the fact that there’s little to do in the garden at this time of year – sit back, take stock, and plan for those empty spaces and the year ahead.
Jobs for the month…
- Clear snow from evergreen trees and shrubs.
- Prepare your greenhouse for young plants and seedlings.
- Prevent aphid build up by applying a winter wash now.
- Spot water if necessary.
Planning ahead…
- Buy your seed potatoes and chit to give them a good head start.
- Cover beds with cloches to warm the soil ready for sowing.
January’s garden highlights…
- Fragrant winter blooms of Hamamelis, Lonicera, Fragrantissima and Sarcoccoca.
- Early colour provided by potted bulbs.
February
February can be mild or cold, and quick to change between the two so always make sure you have a contingency plan and never sow a whole packet of seeds, just in case!
Jobs for the month…
- Lightly trim winter-flowering heathers.
- Prune summer-flowering shrubs.
- Sow seeds in your greenhouse.
- Visit our fabulous Primrose Festival!
Planning ahead…
- Get a head start on summer colour – get your annual seeds and sow under cover.
- Don’t forget National Bird Box week – put up a nest box or two to encourage the flutter of tiny wings!
February’s garden highlights…
- Delicate snowdrops bring promise for the gardening year.
- Cyclamen and Hellebores add some colour.
March
Spring bulbs will be out in force during March, and buds will be appearing all over the garden.
Jobs for the month…
- Prune bushes and shrubs to encourage new growth.
- Prune autumn flowering clematis, and cut down last year’s autumn fruiting rasperry canes.
- Clear debris, old stems and weeds from beds and borders, and follow with a good mulch of compost or bark.
- Plant your summer-flowering bulbs.
Planning ahead…
- Prepare your fruit and vegetable plots for sowing by removing weeds and applying a general fertiliser.
- Make sure your lawnmower is ready for this year’s action!
- Check out all the new garden furniture to make the most of your garden this summer.
March’s garden highlights…
- Wonderful wallflowers are perfect in borders or containers, and have a fabulous scent.
- Daffodils and crocuses provide a stunning display.
April
Your garden will be waking up properly now, which means there’s lots to do!
Jobs for the month…
- Give your lawn a revamp by re-cutting the edes with a half moon edger and feeding.
- Sow your greenhouse vegetable crops.
- Spray roses against disease and be vigilant for signs of pests.
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs once flowering is finished and give all shrubs a good feed with a slow-release fertiliser.
- Keep on top of the weeding!
Planning ahead…
- Check your hanging baskets and containers and plan your planting combinations.
- Stake or support tall-growing perennials now to safeguard your display against breezy days.
April’s garden highlights…
- Fritillaria are wonderful for naturalising around trees or in grass.
- Beautiful blossom and tulips will be in full flower.
May
Days will be longer and hopefully the sun will be shining more and more. As the weather warms up, keep and eye out for unwelcome pests.
Jobs for the month…
- Feed and top-dress your acid-loving plants such as Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Camellias with ericaceous plant food and compost.
- Earth up your potatoes.
- Plant salad crops successionally to ensure a regular supply.
- Plant up your hanging baskets and containers – but beware – a cold snap can ruin your plans and your plants!
Planning ahead…
- Take steps to make sure your fruit harvest is your own and construct your fruit cage now.
- Feed your spring bulbs to encourage next year’s blooms.
May’s garden highlights…
- Beautiful wisteria – blue, purple or white – a true classic of the early summer garden.
- Large-flowering clematis, such as ‘Nelly Moser’, provide a stunning show.
June
The risk of frost has passed and summer is in full swing. It’s a busy time, but don’t forget to sit down, relax, and enjoy all your hard work.
Jobs for the month…
- Fruit, vegetables, containers and baskets need regular feeding and watering.
- Enjoy your first harvests, and don’t forget to continue your successional sowings.
- Plant out your tender vegetables.
- Plant out your summer bedding plants.
- Lift and divide overgrown bulb clumps.
Planning ahead…
- Prepare some winter colour by sowing winter-flowering pansies, wallflowers and Sweet William.
- Record your garden year with photographs to provide an easy reference guide to remembering what you wanted to move or divide, and any gaps to be filled.
June’s garden highlights…
- Fill your garden with the wonderful scent of Philadelphus.
- Those hanging baskets and containers you planted will be bursting with gorgeous summer colour..
July
Warm, sunny days ensure your garden is in full bloom – and so are the weeds so keep hoeing little and often to make sure they don’t take over.
Jobs for the month…
- Prune hedges safely now that birds have finished nesting.
- Prolong your display and encourage new flowers by dead-heading regularly.
- Feed and water your containers regularly.
- If it’s dry, cut your grass a little longer to keep it greener.
Planning ahead…
- Don’t forget to make arrangements with friends or family for plant feeding and watering while you’re on holiday.
- Clear crops that have finished and replant to extend your harvest season.
July’s garden highlights…
- Passionflower makes a stunning display with a tropical look – a great impact plant.
- Fuschias, petunias and geraniums will be looking fabulous in your baskets and containers..
August
The long, hot summer days of August sees a slight respite from the list of things to do in the garden, so be sure to enjoy the fruits of your labours!
Jobs for the month…
- Prune wisteria to encourage new flowering spurs for next year’s display.
- Prune summer-flowering shrubs once flowering is finished.
- Keep your fruit and vegetable plants supported where necessary to avoid damage.
- Lift your onions and dry on a rack.
Planning ahead…
- Propagate new strawberry plants to ensure next year’s crops.
- If you haven’t already got one, think about where you could set up a water butt.
August’s garden highlights…
- Simple to grow, fun for the children and impossible to miss, sunflowers are at their very best.
- All shapes, sizes and colours imagineable, dahlias have striking impact in beds and borders.
September
The end of summer sees jobs increasing again and autumn is not far away.
Jobs for the month…
- Divide overgrown perennials.
- Prune evergreen plants to shape.
- Prolong your display by planting out autumn bedding plants.
- Aerate your lawn to reduce compaction and improve drainage.
Planning ahead…
- Ensure fragrant Christmas blooms by planting amaryllis, hyacinth and scented narcissus.
- Plant your spring-flowering bulbs ready for next year’s display.
September’s garden highlights…
- Seed heads on ornamental, perennial grasses are at their best in autumn, dancing in the breeze.
- Late-flowering Asters burst onto the scene.
October
October brings glorious autumn colours to the garden with leaves turning fiery shades of red and orange.
Jobs for the month…
- Autumn is a good time to plant new hedging and trees, giving them time to establish whilst the soil is still warm, and with plenty of rain to keep them watered during winter.
- Plant new perennials and climbers.
- Reduce watering of houseplants to slow growth through the winter.
- Protect late crops with fleece if necessary.
Planning ahead…
- Ensure next year’s supply of leaf mould or compost by collecting fallen leavevs.
- Keep your herb supplies going through the winter by sowing seeds in pots to harvest from the windowsill.
October’s garden highlights…
- Japanese maples provide some of the most stunning autumn colours.
- Pyracanthus are awash with their red and orange berries – enjoy them before the blackbirds notice them!
November
Remember the wildlife this winter and don’t be too tidy – that way you’ll ensure that there are lots of hiding places for over-wintering creatures, and food for those who are still out and about!
Jobs for the month…
- Tidy your hedges and prune your trees.
- Protect tender plants from wind and frost.
- Clear vegetable crops which have finished and dig in manure or compost.
- Plant a winter container that you can see from the window.
Planning ahead…
- Ensure next year’s tulip display by planting your new bulbs now.
- Make sure your gardening ‘wish-list’ is available for those buying Christmas presents!
November’s garden highlights…
- Winter-flowering heathers are very hardy and perfect for containers and exposed locations – and their splash of colour lasts right through till March.
- Quirky ornamental cabbages give lovely colour to pots and borders.
December
The garden can be a great source of Christmas decorations in December – collect decorative seed heads, holly and ivy and get creative!
Jobs for the month…
- Carry out digging and preparation work on dry days.
- Make any structural repairs to fences or garden buildings.
- Harvest autumn sown winter salads.
- Plant new fruit trees, canes and bushes as long as the ground isn’t frozen.
Planning ahead…
- Review your gardening year, and start your plans for next year!
December’s garden highlights…
- Holly and mistletoe are at their peak this month – perfect timing for those Christmas decorations.
- Not strictly from the garden, but no Christmas table would be complete with a poinsettia.
