TV gardening guru Monty Don says March is the perfect time to grow one popular plant that will boost your garden with instant maturity and beautiful flowers for years to come.
Angela Patrone Senior Lifestyle Reporter
04:13, 21 Mar 2026
Gardeners urged by Monty Don to grow 1 popular plant in March for years of beauty(Image: Volodymyr Chmut via Getty Images)
March is a remarkable month as it marks the onset of spring, a time when gardens burst into life. Primroses are in bloom, apple blossoms are emerging, and perennials are shooting up in vibrant shades of green.
This period also presents an ideal opportunity for planting, with soil temperatures on the rise, longer daylight hours, and a diminished risk of frost. Planting and sowing at this time gives plants, flowers, and crops a head start on the growing season.
According to television gardening expert Monty Don, while March may be too early to plant out tender young seedlings, “it is a very good time to plant woody shrubs”.
Monty Don advises planting woody shrubs so that the roots can begin to grow before the demands of new foliage become overwhelming, particularly for any bare-root plants.
March is a very good time to plant woody shrubs(Image: aquatarkus via Getty Images)
Woody shrubs are a reliable source of early spring flowers. These striking, spring-flowering shrubs exude effortless elegance and reliability. While many gardeners are drawn to spring-flowering perennials, investing in a shrub essentially provides a lifelong garden plant.
Shrubs offer incredible versatility, serving as excellent screens, attractive flowering hedges, or intriguing garden features.
Planting just one shrub this spring can instantly mature your garden, providing beautiful flowers and foliage. Moreover, shrubs are generally hassle-free, making them a great addition to any garden.
Nevertheless, given that woody shrubs are plants which will ideally “remain in the garden for years to come”, Monty emphasised that it’s worthwhile dedicating proper time to planting them.
He directed: “Make sure that every scrap of perennial weeds are removed and dig a wide but shallow hole about nine inches deep. Loosen the subsoil, but do not add any compost or soil improver.”
Monty mentioned that he prefers to sprinkle mycorrhizae over the roots to aid establishment and “plant slightly proud of the soil level, but firming the roots well to form a slight cone”.
Following planting, gardeners will need to water abundantly before applying a thick layer of quality compost as mulch.
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