March Gardening Tips 2026
It has undoubtedly been somewhat damp for a while now and it continues to rain as I write. This much rain can be a little limiting for gardeners in order to avoid compacting borders and lawns. But there are still reasons to be cheerful. We shall see drier and sunnier days. Spring is just round the corner – honestly. The days are lengthening, and the birds are singing with just a little more enthusiasm every day. Daffodils and Camelias are flowering in my garden and soon the blossom will be out and the early spring flowering bulbs will be joined by a host of Fritillaria, Crocus, Tulips, Hyacinth and then majestic Alliums. If you didn’t have time to plant bulbs in the autumn you can always buy them in pots now for a spot of instant joy. March is also a good time to plant all sorts of hardy trees, shrubs and climbers for long term loveliness.
For something truly bright and beautiful look no further than Primroses. We are now in the third year of our annual primrose festival. I challenge anyone not to smile when they come across a pot of these cheerful plants determined to shine at this time of year. I like to have a pot by the front door to welcome visitors. Once again, we are also showcasing some stunning new varieties grown on our own nurseries
This year because it has been so wet I fear our soils may be a little depleted because nutrients will have been washed out, so I thoroughly recommend feeding your plants Fertilisers contain nitrogen for healthy leaves and shoots, phosphorus for the roots and potassium for flowers and fruit. A good general fertiliser contains all of these and trace elements too. This time of year look out for old favourites such as fish blood and bone, bonemeal or seaweed extract. These organically derived products are broken down by soil bacteria so that plants can absorb the nutrients they need. They promote healthy soil bacteria for good soil health over an extended period. Growmore is also a traditional plant feed. After feeding add a good mulch of organic matter to further promote soil bacteria and improve soil structure. These granular fertilisers are great for the early season and can be followed later in the growing season by liquid fertilisers for more instant results. Feeding encourages plant health which is the best defence against pests and disease later in the year.
For those of you who love to grow from seed, a full range of seeds are available now together with all the propagation materials you need from seed compost and plant labels to pots and propagators. Many varieties of tomatoes and chillies can be sown now in the greenhouse, on a windowsill or in a conservatory. If you haven’t yet bought seed potatoes for this year, then now is the time to do so and then put them in a cool, light position to chit (sprout) for planting later. Early varieties can be planted towards the end of the month. Onion sets and Shallots can be planted now. Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Parsnips, Peas, Radishes and Spinach can be sown outside towards the end of March and then covered with cloches, or a little later in the season you can buy young plants to grow on.
In addition to seeds there are tempting summer flowering bulbs to choose from, such as Dahlias, Gladioli, Lilies, and Begonias (long overdue a renaissance in my view and a firm favourite of my maternal grandfather). Easy to grow and very satisfying, summer flowering bulbs are great value for your garden and your purse and can be planted in a few weeks’ time.
If you haven’t done so already do take time to prune established roses (other than ramblers which flower on last year’s wood, so you will lose this year’s flower if you prune now). Prune to an outward facing bud using a good pair of sharp secateurs. It is really important to keep secateurs clean to avoid spreading disease.
Next month I shall be moving on to some lawn care. This will be so important this year, given the rainfall we have. My lawn certainly seems to be as much moss as grass at the moment. But it is too wet to really pay attention to that just yet.
