A garden’s not just for spring, it’s for life...
Some clever planting now will help your outdoor space enjoy colour, structure and wildlife all year round
NOW is the perfect time to plant sensational shrubs and perennials. They will provide a scattering of colour, add structure to your beds and borders by anchoring other plants, and support garden wildlife too. Perennials will bring a burst of colour through the season, coming back year-on-year to bring spring cheer.
But planting now brings all-year-round benefits. So remember, gardening isn’t just for spring! It’s for the whole year.
STRUCTURAL SHRUBS
Deciduous shrubs shed their leaves annually and are likely to need some light pruning to encourage new growth into place.These will gift your garden with seasonal transformations from catkins, stems, flowers and berries as the year moves along.
Philadelphus (mock orange) ‘beauclerk’ will bolster your borders with fragrant flowers through summer which are white with a purple tinge, adding wonderful depth. It’s a hardy shrub that will thrive in a position with plenty of sun and moist but well-drained soil.
Similarly, spiraea thunbergii (Thunberg spiraea) is a mediumsized shrub that has clusters of small white flowers that join the light green foliage. Growing up to 1.5m tall, they’re a great low maintenance addition to beds and borders, as well as banks and slopes.
For year-round coverage, evergreen shrubs will put on a show through every season. Choisya ternata (Mexican orange blossom) has scented flowers from autumn all the way through winter.
Preferring a well-drained soil with full sun, they are drought-resistant and low maintenance, so don’t demand a lot but give plenty of reward.
Shrubs are best bedded in early spring or late autumn, when they’re dormant but still able to prosper.
They’re not just ornamental; woody vegetation acts as a soil stabiliser to prevent erosion, meaning they’re great for the health of your other plants too.
LAY LOW
Smaller spaces can enjoy a big impact with a low-growing shrub that is dense, but compact.These can be great for punctuating the front of the border. Gaultheria procumbens (checkerberry) is low growing and low maintenance.
The evergreen shrub grows to around 15cm tall and can spread indefinitely, making them great for ground cover.The rounded leathery leaves turn from green to red in winter and are fragrant when crushed. In summer, small white-pink flowers adorn the shrub, and are followed by red berries in autumn.Without a doubt, this shrub will bring colour and structure all year round.
Another perfect pick for a low grower is spiraea japonica (Japanese spiraea) ‘gold mound’, which is a compact deciduous one. The yellow leaves turn green-yellow in summertime when they are joined by sprays of pink flowers. Hardy and easy to grow, they will look great in a variety of spaces including pots and containers in coastal, cottage and courtyard spaces.
FAST GROWTH
If you’re looking for instant impact, look no further than forsythia, which has woody branches sprinkled with sunshine-yellow blossom in spring.They make for great hedging or focal points and give your garden a punch of colour when in flower. Plant them in a sunny spot with moist but well-drained soil where they will bring structure and height.
Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush) is a fantastically fast-growing deciduous shrub, which is brilliant for adding masses of colour and scent to your garden. Not to mention the long cones of purple flowers in the summer that bees and butterflies love.Add this to your planting scheme so you can sit and spot the different butterflies that pay it a visit.
Another quick grower is photinia
(Christmas berry), which is an evergreen, perfect for creating privacy as a hedge or serving as a standout border feature.The young leaves sprout rich red in spring, providing an amazing contrast against more mature deep green foliage. Its sparse white flowers in spring are usually followed by red berries.
BERRY GOOD
Having shrubs in the garden will feed and shelter your wonderful wildlife,
as well as providing berries for sustenance through the autumn and winter months. Sorbus aucuparia (rowan) is a berry-bearing plant that birds love.
The leaves turn yellow in autumn, with flat clusters of white flowers in late spring. In early autumn, orange-red berries grow on the stems, adding some vibrancy to the shrub.The berries are a firm favourite for waxwings, redwings and thrushes.
The berries of cotoneaster are popular with blackbirds, thrushes and waxwings and they appear from autumn into winter.This makes them great for wildlife gardens, especially as the cup-shaped flowers that bloom in spring attract pollinators too. Keep this droughtresistant plant growing happily in a sunny spot with well-drained soil.
HAPPY HARVESTS
Of course, the garden isn’t just for ornamentals.With plenty of fruit and vegetables to grow in the garden, sowing and planting in spring can keep you busy through the season. Meanwhile, they bring interest with their beauty and the added bonus of tasty harvests. Stunning crops like Swiss chard ‘bright lights’ can be planted amongst ornamentals to add a burst of vibrancy.The rainbow-coloured stems are sure to become a talking point, looking fantastic when growing. Sow the seeds from March until July for harvests through summer and autumn.A spot with
AS A proud patron of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, I’m all too aware our hedgehogs have drastically declined in number. Habitat loss, pollution and traffic are all to blame. Recent findings have shown regional variations in populations – with higher numbers of the prickly little mammals in the North and East of England and Scotland.
But, overall, it’s feared there are just 200,000 to 250,000 hedgehogs in gardens and urban green spaces. Visit britishhedgehogs.org.uk for more info.
HEDGEHOG HIGHWAYS
For starters, you should create a hedgehog highway between gardens to allow the creatures to move freely as part of a larger network.
Do this by cutting a 13 x 13cm (5.1 x 5.1 inch) hole in the bottom of your fence and encouraging neighbours to do the same. One single garden won’t provide everything hedgehogs need so make your garden part of a chain.
TOP TIPS
✿ If you have a pond, ensure there is a gentle slope to allow hedgehogs to get in and out for a drink.
✿ Check long grass carefully before mowing or strimming.
✿ Cover any drains or deep holes so hedgehogs don’t fall in.
✿ Make sure you check your compost heap before digging the fork into it to turn it or take out soil for the garden.
✿ Try putting out a bowl of good quality cat or dog food, in jelly rather than gravy because this can be too salty and dehydrating. Fresh water is also helpful, and refresh this daily, as well as washing the container.
✿ If you see a hedgehog during the day, it might be in distress. Contact the British Hedgehog Preservation Society for advice if you’re unsure.
✿ Ensure there is no litter around your garden. Hedgehogs are inquisitive creatures and some waste can trap them, leaving them injured or vulnerable to starvation or predators. sun or partial shade is best in moist but well-drained soil. Likewise, opt for a fantastic looking variety of kale like ‘Redbor’, which can be sown continuously from March for harvests from summer. Once you’ve harvested some, you can grow more to keep your borders pretty and productive.
Now it’s April you should be able to sow directly outdoors. However if your plants need extra protection, Garantia’s Sunny Forcing Cloches will come in handy.
Using spring to plant up a garden you can enjoy all year round is a fantastic idea.
Not only can you enjoy these plants, but birds, bees and butterflies will appreciate the shelter, pollen and berries through the year.