Garden design and planting tips for March

Here at Karen Chamberlain Garden Design we love Spring! With daffodils lining the country lanes of pretty Dedham where we are based, it really does make the surrounding Essex and Suffolk countryside look extremely bright and cheerful!

In the following blog please see top gardening design and planting tips for March.

• Firstly – don’t miss your chance to book a place on one of our Garden design and planting courses

Click here for more information on our 4 week Garden design, Planting design and Vegetable growing courses starting in April.

Places are filling up quickly, to book your place contact Karen now.

• Plant Lilies

Some books will tell you that lilies are planted in autumn when in fact they can be planted much later as they only need 12-14 weeks from panting to producing those gorgeous bowl-you-over blooms.  You should find them in the garden centres now, hanging up on racks in little plastic bags desperate to get into the soil. So with a certain devil-may-care attitude and a spring in your step I give you permission to impulse buy, just this once!

• Watch out for lily beetle

(I know, first I give then I take!) although it may seem too early to be on the lookout for this pest it is partial to the crown imperials (Fritillaria imperialis) which are starting into growth this month. You are looking for the adult beetle, bright red, can’t miss them, and the black larvae which look like a little bit of poop.  If you see one squash it!

• Sow Sweet peas

Traditionally these are started off in winter for early flowers the following summer however, after losing a crop to extreme weather I prefer to sow in Spring. I sow 4 seeds per toilet roll tube full of compost, keep them in the green house (unheated) and then plant out with my runner bean plants mid-May.

• Plant of the month

I’m opting for a favourite cottage garden plant this month a Spring flowering shrub Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Moerloosei’ (seen in the picture above) more commonly known as Japanese quince.  To my eye it’s the prettiest of the cultivars with delicate apple-blossom like blooms that appear before the leaves.  Unfortunately, it could be considered a bit dull the rest of the year but it could earn its place in the border by playing host to a small summer flowering Clematis.  C. viticella ‘Etoile Violette’ is a favourite

•  FREE seeds

We love the opportunity to see our clients and talk with people who are passionate about their gardens. So if you are passing our Dedham studios why not pop in and pick up some free seeds of Sweet Pea ‘Incense Mix’ – otherwise send me a stamped address envelope and I’ll post a packet out to you.

For assistance with your garden design needs or to find out more about one of our courses call us on 01206 323678 or email info@karenchamberlain.co.uk. If you are not sure if we can help, just ask – if we can’t I’m sure we’ll know someone who can

Posted in Monthly gardening advice, News