As the days get longer (hurrah, it’s not dark by 4pm anymore) and the soil starts to warm up, it’s the perfect time to get out into the garden and give your plants a strong start.
From fruit to herbs and veg, there’s a whole host of seeds to sow now that’ll leave you with beautiful blooms and tasty crops in the months to come.
Just make sure the ground is workable – not frozen or waterlogged – grab your gloves, trowel, rake and labels, then get ready to grow.
So, alongside your other March gardening jobs, here’s what to plant before we bid farewell to the month:
Other gardening jobs to tackle in March:
Dahlia tubers
Delightful dahlias are one of the most diverse blooms: coming in a riot of rainbow colours, shapes and sizes. Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres, advises: “Now is the perfect time to start dahlia tubers off outdoors, potting them up in barely moist compost somewhere bright and frost-free. They’ll begin to shoot in the coming weeks, giving you sturdy young plants ready to go out after the last frost in mid-May.”
The reward for this small act of planning is great, blowsy blooms from July right through to the first frosts of autumn. ‘Cafe au Lait’ remains a firm favourite, but wide, inky varieties like ‘Karma Choc’ are equally irresistible.
Gary Mayes//Getty Images
Plant dahlia tubers now for bright and blowsy blooms from July onwards
Broad beans
Delicious stirred into creamy risottos, fresh salad leaves or lemony pasta dishes, the culinary uses are endless with broad beans. But before we can take them into the kitchen, we’ve got to get growing.
Julian says: “Hardy, unfussy, and one of the most rewarding crops you can grow from seed, broad beans can be sown directly into the ground now and will shrug off a late frost without complaint. By early summer, you’ll be rewarded with armfuls of plump pods and fresh beans. Try ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ for reliability, or ‘The Sutton’ if space is tight.”
MEDITERRANEAN//Getty Images
Sow seeds now and reap the rewards in early summer
Shallots
This miniature member of the allium family is highly prized for its delicate, sweet, slightly piquant flavour.
“These need to be ground before April,” Julian advises. “Push sets into soil with just the tips showing, in rows around 25cm apart, and let the season do its work. By July, you’ll be lifting clusters of golden bulbs to dry on slatted shelves in the shed.
“‘Jermor’ is a long, elegant French variety; ‘Red Sun’ adds a welcome splash of colour to both bed and kitchen.”
Christina Groth-Biswas//Getty Images
Shallots are sweeter than their ordinary onion cousin
Sweet peas
One of the nation’s favourite flowers, sweet peas are beloved for their fragrance and cutting and climbing potential.
To introduce them to your garden, Julian suggests: “Sow into deep modules in a cold frame, pinch out the growing tips at around 10cm, and you’ll have strong, fragrant plants ready to climb come late April. The old-fashioned Spencer varieties have a scent that is simply incomparable and also make great cut flowers.”
David Burton//Getty Images
Sweet peas are easy to grow in fertile soil that drains well
Hardy annuals
Some of the easiest flowers to grow, hardy annuals self seed so come back year after year, making them a great budget-friendly option, too.
“Cornflowers, nigella and calendula need to go into a prepared bed now, and they’ll establish strong roots before the spring rush,” says Julian, “Hardy annuals actually prefer cooler conditions, and an early sowing will always outperform one made in summer.”
Alex Manders//Getty Images
Nigella is easy to grow and self seeding – what’s not to like!
Gardening must-haves
Filberts of Dorset Gardeners Hand Salve
Haywards Garden Bee and Butterfly Water Stations, Garden Décor, set of three colourful bee water cups .
Now 17% Off
Home Sussex Handmade Peg Apron
Garden Snips in Leather Pouch
The Fae Potter Wild Bird Feeder ceramic hanging
WhinnyPoo WhinnyPoo Box of 3 Plant Feed
Comments are closed.