DAVID DOMONEY’S SPRING GARDENING CHECKLIST

Create a planting calendar:

So you can make sure your garden beds are fully prepared for sowing seeds, what time of the year to sow them, and when you can expect to harvest. Ensure your garden is ready to cultivate the healthiest and most productive plants by improving your soil before sowing and planting. Organic matter dug into the soil, any compost you have produced last year, or even composted leaves you have been saving from last autumn will all add wonderful nutrients to the soil. Sow some long-season seeds indoors, which are better suited to more consistently warm soil to start them off. Some great examples include broccoli, cauliflower, and tomatoes.

Make sure you have a water butt or a similar alternative to collect rainwater. Now is the perfect time to do it, with April showers looming, as you never know when precious rainwater will be sparsely available in summer dry spells.

Sharpen your tools: Make sure your garden tools are spring-ready. Give them a good clean if you haven’t already, making sure to put them away dry to avoid rusting. Sharpen secateurs and check the edges of spades and hand tools like trowels, in case they could do with some attention too.

Prep before you sow: Start seeds indoors: Collect rainwater:

With flowers starting to make their appearance, there are several ways you can ensure consistent flowering, advises David Domoney, above.

“If you would like to produce a pollinator-friendly wildflower meadow, get started early by sowing seeds in trays,” says David. “Then, once any risk of frost has passed, these can be sown outside for the perfect treat for your local pollinator population.” You can also use this time to plant your roses, shrubs, and climbers, which gives them plenty of time to establish before flowering in the coming months, highlights Domoney. David also suggests sowing sunflowers, too.

“A brilliant task to enjoy with your children. Sunflower seeds are large enough for small fingers to handle, and their quick growth gives children a wonderful reward for their efforts in no time,” he says.