Spring looks different depending on where you are. In some regions it may be covered by a veil of mist, but when the sun shines, gardeners find it hard to stay indoors and not start work long before the May 24th weekend (generally considered a safe date in terms of frost!).
Rosie Daykin (featured in House & Home magazine) carefully tends her beds on the West Coast from early spring onwards, growing most of her vegetables from seed — and the results speak for themselves. Here are some things you can do right now to prepare your garden for the most beautiful and productive summer yet.
1. Start planting
2. Acclimate seedlings
3. Clean the beds
4. Prune and tidy (with measure)
Summer-flowering shrubs, such as Buddleja davidii (summer lilac), Russian sage, hardy fuchsia, spirea and potentilla, should be pruned in spring. Prune vines such as wisteria, clematis and climbing roses. Cut back fruiting raspberry canes and those thinner than a pencil, shortening the remaining young canes by at least 30 cm.
