Springing back to busyness

Everywhere you look there’s something to do, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

PEOPLE who aren’t gardeners sometimes surmise that winter is the ‘quiet’ time in the garden. That is so not the case, as there is always something to do whatever the season, but it has to be said that where we are now is probably the time when we wish for extra hours in the day, more hours of daylight.

Spring is called ‘spring’ for a reason: it is the time when everything leaps back to life and into growth. With this welcome surge comes an ever-lengthening list of things to do, and this week I have been tackling just a few of them.

Potting up summer flowering tubers, clearing pots, giving fuchsias their seasonal trim and making sure the pond water stays clear and healthy are all part and parcel of the spring gardener’s checklist.

Feeding and mulching is essential to encourage new growth and help it develop healthily and strongly.

The warmer weather also, of course, brings out the weeds and pests so deal with them immediately. I would rather weed by hand than use chemicals, and the same goes for controlling insect pests. If you are unable to do this and prefer to use a spray, try and use an organic one and follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.

Don’t spray on windy days as the chemicals can travel and, in the case of weedkillers, kill your cultivated plants, and never use pesticides on flowering plants as you will kill pollinators.

Another job to tackle now is pruning your Group 2 and 3 clematis. Group 2 plants are renowned for their large flowers that bloom in May and June and varieties include ‘Nelly Moser’, ‘Barbara Jackman’, Jackmanii ‘Alba’ and J. ‘Rubra’ and ‘Burma Star’.