As the old proverb goes, ‘March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.’ But whether you brave the miserable, wintry weather at the start of March, or hang on for the finer days just around the corner, the garden is waking up regardless. The light is shifting, the soil warming and, before you know it, there’s a to-do list whispering from every border.

One of my favourite March jobs is planting and dividing herbaceous perennials. If clumps are congested or their floral displays are not quite what they have been in recent years, now is the time to lift and split them while they are still waking up.
Drive a sharp spade through the centre and tease them apart with your hands, and you will be rewarded with healthier plants in the garden and free new ones to tuck into gaps or share with friends.

Protect shoots from late cold snaps

Dahlias make their annual appearance this month. I like to start mine in pots under cover in a frost-free greenhouse, cold frame or even a bright shed. It gives them a head start and protects those tender shoots from late cold snaps and hungry slugs. Use a free-draining compost, sit the tuber just below the surface, and water.

March is a pruning month too, particularly for hydrangeas. With mophead and lacecap types, I cut back to a healthy pair of buds, taking care not to be over-enthusiastic. Any dead sticks can be thinned out and the remaining branches uniformly trimmed into a ball shape. Paniculata hydrangeas can be cut harder if needed, as they flower on new wood and bounce back enthusiastically.

Repair or reseed bare areas

The lawn may be looking a bit drab from winter damage with muddy bald patches. This is the time to repair or reseed bare areas. Rake out debris, loosen the surface, overseed generously, and keep it damp. It may not seem too pressing but future you will be grateful come summer.

There’s also the deeply satisfying act of planting potatoes. Chitted seed potatoes can go into the ground this month if conditions allow.

Plenty of plants that will bring you instant cheer

If you are yearning for a bit more colour in your garden right now, there are plenty of plants you can buy that will bring you some instant cheer. Hellebores are at their peak, quietly elegant and unfazed by cold. Chaenomeles (flowering quince) brings splashes of bright colour to walls and fences. Bergenia provides glossy leaves and punchy flowers, while primroses are pure spring joy and work well in pots, borders or wilder patches of grass. Scatter them generously and let them do what they do best.