March Gardening Jobs

"The days have grown longer and so has my gardening ‘to do’ list.” Says Jane Gillespie, Horticulturalist at Oakchurch Farm Shop and Garden Centre at Staunton-on-Wye.

It’s time to get busy!

This month’s gardening checklist:

1. Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials. Replant the strongest and healthiest of the divisions and do not forget to water them in. Doing this helps to reinvigorate tired plants. Plan your summer borders, check out the perennial selection in our Plant Centre for ideas.
2. Plant summer flowering bulbs for colourful displays in containers and borders. Pot up Dahlia and Begonia tubers in multipurpose compost. Keep them in well lit, warm place and water when compost dries out.
3. Prune bush and climbing Roses and plant new ones. Feed all established Roses with a balanced Rose fertiliser as they come into growth.
4. Mow established lawns if the weather is mild and dry.
5. Raise mower blades slightly to make sure the first cut of the season is higher. Reshape any lawn edges as necessary with a half-moon edging iron.
6. High Nitrogen lawn fertiliser can be applied later this month. This will give the grass a much-needed boost after harsh winter conditions.

• Mulch Roses, soft fruit and perennials with a well -rotted manure. This helps to hold in moisture and improves soil.
• Feed Blueberry bushes with ericaceous plant food.
• Cut autumn fruiting Raspberry canes to ground level to stimulate the growth of new fruiting canes.
• Lift and divide snowdrops.
• Install a water butt.
• Give bees a helping hand. Sow annual wildflower mixes and invest in a bee habitat. 

And as always, March sees us celebrating Mothering Sunday (14^th March). We will have beautifully planted arrangements and flowering plants in our plant centre. Our friendly garden centre team are always on hand with knowledgeable help and advice.

Remember that everything that we sell in our garden centre is available via our contactless Call & Collect Service. From grow your own vegetable and flower seed to greenhouses to grow them in.

Just give us a call or email and we’ll drop your order into the boot of your car when you arrive later the same day. 01981 500 125 (option 8) or email gardencentre@oakchurch.net.

Limited local delivery is also available – please ask for details.

Jane Gillespie
Oakchurch Garden Centre Horticulturalist