A gardening expert has shared her top tips for getting a head start on your outdoor space this March.
Sophie Valentine, from Thakeham in West Sussex, recently posted a video to TikTok to highlight essential gardening tasks to achieve a vibrant, healthy garden this summer.
Sophie, who juggles gardening with life as a mother of three, shared the advice with her followers on her TikTok account, @lookinsidemygarden, explaining that now is the time’ to get the garden ready and save ‘serious’ money along the way.
From mulching to potting to sowing seeds, the self-taught horticulturalist demonstrated twelve key jobs that she’s already tackling in her own garden.
Issuing her first word of advice, Sophie said: ‘You’ve still got time to be planting bare roots and shrubs and get those fences painted.’
Next, the expert urged gardeners to begin adding a layer of mulch around borders, which helps retain moisture, prevent weeds, and keep the soil healthy for plants.
She also recommended taking advantage of perennials already growing in the garden by dividing them and replanting them for better growth.
She added: ‘Cut back any deciduous grasses and comb your evergreen grasses.
Sophie Valentine, from Thakeham, recently posted a video to TikTok, where she offered a range of essential gardening tasks for a vibrant, healthy garden this summer
‘If you’ve got a greenhouse or cold frame full of seedlings, rotate them to make sure they all get plenty of light.’
The expert also insisted now is the perfect time to start sowing seeds for ‘beautiful flowers’ that will bloom in the summer months.
Next, Sophie highlighted another essential task: giving everything a good clean – advising gardeners to freshen up their outdoor space by jet-washing paths, fences, decking and outdoor furniture.
She also recommended keeping an eye out for deals on perennials before they grow larger and more expensive, suggesting Facebook marketplace for ‘garden bargains.’
Using a watering can to sprinkle treatment in and around her flower beds, Sophie stressed the importance of reducing the risk of slugs and pests by applying nematode to the soil.
She also urged: ‘It’s time to start thinking about feeding, especially roses, this month.’
For those who have seedlings, Sophie advised pinching out any extra growth to help them thrive and develop stronger roots.
Additionally, she recommended taking cuttings from new growth and placing them in water to root, which potentially grows new plants.
She advised gardeners to cut back any deciduous grasses and comb evergreen grasses
For those with a greenhouse or cold frame full of seedlings, rotate them to make sure they all get plenty of light
Issuing a her twelfth and final top tip, Sophie said: ‘It’s time to pot up your dahlias – but they hate frost and cold, so do this indoors.’
The expert concluded her video by showed her partner refreshing the grey paint on their decking, preparing for lawn care and marking the start of their garden’s transformation into a thriving summer space.
It comes after gardeners were issued a warning over ‘infected’ bird feeders that can pose a health risk to several species of birds.
As March looms, the nesting season will see young birds gradually leave their nests to explore their surroundings and join their flocks in the hunt for tasty treats.
Feeding stations are an ideal way to provide an extra food source for many bird species – but Brits have been warned to check their bird feeder is clean and safe from disease before installing them in gardens.