Another month gone already, nothing particularly dramatic about it, no stormy punctuations, just a very mild grey block of time, a chilly wind and just enough rain to disrupt. Whilst there have been a few cold nights, it’s been the mildness that has brought the greatest confusion. The squirrels have kept busy, the magpies have been ripping twigs from trees for nesting and buds everywhere are swelling. This week when the sun smiled on us for a few hours, folk were starting their lawn mowers. As we move into March and the days lengthen gardening can start in earnest. I am busily trying to finish off pruning and have one or two bigger plants to try and move. Any day soon the sap will surge and plants will want to get going, so I cut and move in the knowledge that nature will swiftly bring repair to my disturbances. I may even find space for a few more bare root raspberry bushes too. (if you are buying anything bare rooted then you do need to get it into the ground smartly). This week I will be getting some more seed underway and last months sowing of lettuce and cabbage has already been transplanted. Keep the sowing light and regular especially with salad items, you just don’t want fifty ready on the same day. If you want to try celeriac then get it sown or you’ll finish the season with golf balls.  Hold off with tender vegetables unless you have good, protected space. If you have that protection, then Tomatoes and Chilli’s can be started but it is too early for the cucumber and marrow families. As the days advance and towards the end of the month you can be getting some potatoes into the ground. At this stage don’t worry too much about the chitting, once in the ground un-chitted stock will soon catch up. If none of that appeals then you can be sowing a few flower seeds. It’s a good month for broadcasting some of the hardier annuals straight into the border, if the ground is clean. All of the cottage garden favourites can be scattered, cornflower, love in the mist, larkspur, candytuft and linaria will all take a hold quickly.

And finally I am introducing a few more summer bulbs to the border. For sentiments sake I have some gladioli to put some bold height in and have eucomis and tigridia to bring a bit of exotic splendour. Check out bulbs.

Happy gardening.

Chris Evans
www.dundrynurseries.co.uk
www.thebutterflygarden.org