After a week of surprising sunshine and balmy temperatures, Brits across the nation are flocking back into their gardens. But, after a rain-filled winter savaged by snow and storms, many of our backyards will need some dire TLC.
March is therefore a great opportunity to get your hands dirty and start prepping your gardens for the incoming summer. In fact, British horticulturist and TV presenter Monty Don says now is the perfect time to be getting on with a whole host of jobs – from pruning shrubs and climbers to planting woody shrubs.
If you want to try and grow your own food, March is also an ideal month to sow seeds undercover – including cabbage, lettuce, celery, beetroot and tomatoes. However, these shouldn’t be sowed outside if the ground still feels cold to touch.
The Gardeners’ World star recommends Brits finally mow their lawn this month, but says a ‘light trim’ is all that is needed. Keeping some length will help ‘encourage good root growth’ and means the grass can resist a drought during the sunnier months.
“It is also worth giving the lawn a good scratch with a wire rake,” Monty said in his eponymously named blog Montydon.com last year. “This will get at all the overwintering thatch and moss, and let light and water get to the soil and the roots of the grass. Put the debris on the compost and then mow. It will look a little bald for a week or so but will grow back thicker than ever.”
Want big news with big heart? Get the top headlines sent straight to your inbox with our Daily Newsletter
If you spot moss on your lawn, this may be a sign of poor drainage – which can easily occur when the sun is in hiding. “Unfortunately even the best-prepared soil becomes compacted by matted roots, rain and, especially, normal family use,” Monty added. “The answer is to work on it at least once a year by sticking a fork in the ground and wiggling it about and repeating the process every six inches or so.”
Experts over at Woodland Trust agree that March can be a good time to mow your lawn, but says Brits should be careful before trimming their grass. “Before you mow, be sure to scout your lawn for any animals that could be harmed,” the pros added. “Hedgehogs in particular like to curl up in long grass and may otherwise go unnoticed.”
Do you have a story to share? Email us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk for a chance to be featured
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the saleor sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Privacy Notice.