How to Maintain a Spring Display

Now that spring is finally here, you might be wondering - what now? 

Although there might be lots of blooms in your displays, there's always room to improve. From pruning to watering to general garden maintenance, here is our list of things to help you maintain a spring display. 

When To Water Plants In Spring



In general, if your plant's soil is dry to touch, it's worth giving them a good drink of water. However, throughout spring, there may be a few exceptions. 

If you've planted spring-flowering bulbs like tulips and daffodils, then watering often could be more detrimental than ideal. Spring is often a wet season, and it rains more than the sun shines. Since spring bulbs don't like to be in soggy soil, watering them if it's already rained could damage them and stop them from flowering the following year. 

For bulbs, we suggest watering them only if the soil is dry to touch - for example, if it's been quite warm for over a week. This may differ from other plants, though, so double check your growing instructions per plant for watering advice. 

What to Prune In Spring



Summer-flowering shrubs: Shrubs that flower over summer can be cut back hard (to the ground) in spring to help it grow lots of flowers the coming season. 

Ornamental grasses: Ornamental grasses like miscanthus can also be cut back hard from March. Try to remove any dead growth but exclude new green stems. 

Spring-flowering shrubs: Shrubs that produce flowers from the previous season's growth benefit from being cut back slightly after they've flowered to keep them in tip-top shape. Weigela and winter-flowering Jasmine are great examples of plants that will benefit from this. 

Perennials: If you didn't cut back herbaceous perennials in autumn, then it can also be done in spring the following year. Remove seedheads, old stems and browning leaves with sharp secateurs. Put cuttings in your compost heap or in the green waste bin - if you have one. 

What to Plant In Spring



Summer-flowering bulbs can be planted from March to May in flower beds and containers. Some may need starting off indoors or in a greenhouse (dahlias), but many bulbs can just be planted directly outdoors.

Lots of seeds can be sown in spring, too: cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, leeks, lettuces from February - peas, spinach, peppers and tomatoes from mid-late March. 

Prep the Garden for Summer



Spring is the ideal time to be preparing your garden for hot summer months! Whether you're tidying displays and borders or collecting rainwater for inevitable summer droughts, there is plenty to do and potter with throughout spring. Here are just a few jobs to do do this spring:

- Tidy borders and flower beds. Get rid of any large stones if not intentional and trim grass around the edges of borders to keep it neat.
- Collect rain water in water butts throughout spring for summer. If you've already got one set up, then all you need to do is wait for the rain! If you're strapped for space, you can get wall mounted, compact butts instead. These hold less water of course, but it'll make all the difference during a dry summer. 
- Get out garden furniture and give it all a good clean before using it at the end of spring and into summer. 

For more top tips on how to prepare the garden for summer, read our full guide.