Welcome to Seasonal Gardening
Seasonal Gardening provides a month by month account of tasks that need to be done in the garden. Our free online guide is packed with hints, tips, helpful projects and useful gardening ideas for every season.
Covering the whole of the UK (Great Britain, England, Scotland & Wales) and other northern temperate zones.
January
Prune back old and withered hellebore foliage to reveal the emerging flowers. If the weather permits there is still time to plant roses and other bare rooted shrubs. Order any specialist vegetable seeds as new and popular cultivars often sell out quickly. Apple and pear trees can be pruned from now until the end of February.
Also spare a thought for your house plants at this time of year, ensure they are placed in good light and away from dry heat sources.
February
It's the time of year again to start thinking about planning the vegetable plot. You can start this month by buying seeds and potato tubers ready. Sprout early potatoes now, by placing them (eye uppermost) in a cool, light, frost free area.
Don't forget it's Valentine this month, so why not look-out for something different for the garden lover in your life, such as a bare rooted rose bush. Although not in bloom now, it will eventually provide a lifetime of blooms and February is an ideal time to plant bare root rose bushes.
March
Rake lawns to remove winter debris and feed with a feed-and-weed mixture. Spring prune trees and shrubs such as roses. Sow seeds of biennial and perennial plants. Lift and divide clump forming perennials, such as Geum, hardy geraniums and Phlox. Get a head start by take cuttings of Dahlias and fuchsias in a heated propagator at the end of the month.
Start sowing early vegetables such as lettuce, leeks, parsnips, early carrots, broad beans and peas as soon as the soil is warm and workable. Plant early potatoes near the end of the month in warm areas.
Mothering Sunday
Don't forget Mother's Day this month. An ideal opportunity to treat your mother to a lovely bunch of flowers or a trip to a spring garden or garden centre.
April
Now that spring is finally here, there is so much that needs to be done in the garden. However, the most important task is to keep an eye on the weather report for late frosts and to protect vulnerable plants, blossom and tender buds. Also watch out for hot dry spells, watering plants as soon as they need it, especially container grown plants.
It is time to start feeding established perennials and to make room for new growth by weeding and cleaning-up the borders. Although herbaceous plants are starting to grow away, most perennials have a long way to go to fill the borders, and some may not have even survived the winter. Fill unsightly gaps with early flowering hardy annuals such as wallflowers or plunge pots of crocus, tulips and narcissus, to fill those empty spaces. Where gaps are larger, add some early-flowering perennials, like Doronicum or Bergenia, planting them in groups of three or more.
May
You will need to work hard this month to keep weeds at bay. Keep pulling them out and hoeing off the bare ground until the borders fill-out with emerging perennials and bedding plants. Whilst weeding check for self-sown annuals, biennials and perennials that can be potted-up or transplanted for use in other areas of the garden.
Plant container grown plants, shrubs and roses now, taking advantage of the cool weather and plentiful spring showers to enable plants to become well established before the hot and dry summer months arrive.
June
Now that the weather is warmer it's time to start sowing biennials and perennials outside. Also, once the danger of frost has past in your area you can harden-off and plant out bedding plants in borders, containers and hanging baskets to fill the garden with a burst colour.
June is also an ideal time to start taking cuttings, which is much easier than you think and a great way to increase your stock of flowers, plants and shrubs for free. Plants that can be easily propagated at this time of year include Catmint, Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, Penstemons, Old-fashioned pinks and Perennial wallflowers (Erysimum).
July
Early July is a good time to take softwood cuttings of shrubs and perennials. You can take cuttings of your own plants or perhaps ask a friend or relative if you can visit their garden to take softwood cuttings of plants you don't have.
Water in dry weather, especially containers and newly planted plants that have not yet become fully established. Take care not to miss moisture hungry herbaceous plants that are not in flower at this time, such as Hellebores. To ensure they remain healthy and give a good show later in the season.
August
August is the ideal time to take semi-ripe cuttings of shrubs and climbers such as Clematis. Use vigorous shoots from this seasons growth as cutting material. See our easy step by step guide for instructions on Growing New Plants from Cuttings.
Now that the warmer sunny weather has finally arrived, don't forget to regularly water all your pots and containers. Hanging baskets in particular will need watering once or maybe even twice a day. The best times to water are early morning or in the cool of the evening, so that water does not evaporate away before it has time to soak in or scorch leaves in the hot sun.
September
There is still time during September to take semi-ripe cuttings of shrubs and some tender perennials ready for over-wintering in the greenhouse. Use vigorous shoots from this seasons growth as cutting material.
Once autumn is on its way there is little to do in the garden apart from tidying-up plants and flowers that have finished flowering. As well as continuing to watering containers and hanging baskets, don't forget to keep watering any early flowering shrubs, especially azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons to encourage next year's buds to form correctly.
October
Now is the time to get the garden ready for Winter. Although the days may still be warm and sunny the nights are getting colder and the days are getting shorter. Don't be caught out, as there is sure to be a sudden cold snap and even a frosty night or two before the end of the month. So prepare protection (or storage) for those tender plants and keep a close eye on the weather forecast each evening.
Lift and clean tender corms, rhizomes and tubers and store them in a dark, dry, frost free place. This will protect them against water logging and severe weather in winter.
November
Collect fallen leaves to make leaf mulch and tidy-up and dig over borders ready for winter. There is plenty of time from now until the end of December to plant spring bulbs. You can also save money on trees and shrubs by buying bare rooted stock now ready for planting in early spring.
Protect tender plants by bringing them into the greenhouse or covering with horticultural fleece or straw. Moving potted plants against a sheltered south facing wall can also protect them from mild frosts. Protect large clay pots by placing them in a sheltered area and raising them up on stands, to ensure that water drains away freely.
December
Take time this month to finish off any winter digging, which opens up the soil ready for frosts to break it down. Improve difficult soils by adding lots of humus and organic matter.
There is still plenty of time from now until the end of the month to plant spring bulbs. Don't forget to order seed catalogues early so you can make plans for what to grow next year.
After heavy snowfalls, take a few moments to brush off or shake covered branches of trees, hedges and large shrubs. Heavy snow can weigh down the branches, causing them to snap or bend out of shape.
A to Z of Plants
See our extensive list of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and biennials.
Propagating
Take cuttings and grow your own plants from seed.
Garden Tools
Identify the tools you need to garden successfully.
Gardens to Visit
Visit some of the most spectacular gardens in Britain.
Updates & Additions
New plant descriptions added:
Perennials: Anthyllis, Anthriscus, Agastache