GARDEN JOBS FOR MARCH

Here are five tasks to do now that will pay dividends later in the year

* LIFT, DIVIDE AND REPLANT SNOWDROPS

Once the flowers have gone but while they’re still in leaf, lift snowdrop bulbs and tease the clumps apart before replanting them at the same depth. This way you double your stock of plants and can spread them around your garden in natural-looking drifts.

* WEED AND TIDY FLOWER BORDERS, THEN MULCH

Annoyingly, weeds are often the first plants to show, so remove them before they get established. Once they’re all gone, top the soil with organic mulch (compost, bark, chopped leaves etc); this will help to lock in moisture, suppress future weed growth and improve the soil as it breaks down.

* SOW HALF-HARDY ANNUALS UNDER COVER

Get a head start on summer colour by sowing cosmos, zinnia, salvia, lobelia, marigold and poppies. Sow seeds 3mm deep in a seed tray filled with compost. Then water and cover with polythene or glass and place somewhere warm (it needs to be around 15-25°C). Seeds should germinate in a week or two.

* START A MINI MEADOW

Towards the end of March, once the soil has warmed up a little, sow wildflower mixes directly into prepared ground. These can contain bee- and butterfly-friendly, nectar-rich flowers, such as daisies, clover, cornflowers and buttercups, so are perfect for pollinators.

* POT ON HOUSE PLANTS

Houseplants need love too, and now is the ideal time to rehome them into slightly bigger pots (too much space, though, could slow growth and cause root rot, so only increase the container diameter by about 5cm). Water the plant the day before you plan to move it, and always use fresh compost as any nutrients in the old compost will have been totally depleted.