Plant Summer Flowering Bulbs for an Extra Splash of Colour

• In early spring it is time to plant summer-flowering bulbs. Typical examples include gladioli, allium, oriental lillies and some species of Iris
• Sometimes we forget about bulbs purchased in the autumn and winter and miss out on the correct time to plant them. Do not leave them until the correct time comes around again as they are likely to deteriorate, becoming soft or going rotten. Simply discard any that have already turned soft and plant those that remain straight away. They may not do so well in their first year, but hopefully they will come back stronger each year thereafter
• Most bulbs should be planted at two to three times their depth, and as a general rule of thumb, placed at least twice the bulb’s own width apart. However, there are some exceptions, so it is always important to check the instructions with each pack to make sure
• Bulbs from cool, moist, woodland habitats, such as Cardiocrinum, need similar garden conditions. This means that if your garden has light or sandy soils, you may need to improve it with garden compost. Very heavy soils may need compost and some grit
• Planting bulbs together in groups where possible tends to provide the most impressive display. However, as many take up little room, they can easily be added more sporadically into a summer boarder to add height and intrigue

Start Growing Homegrown Fruit and Vegetables

• March is key time if you look forward to enjoying fresh homegrown strawberries in summer. Start planting cold-stored strawberry runners and sowing seeds of alpine strawberries. It is also a good time if you fancy experiementing with growing your own cranberries or logenberries too
• Do not forget that if you want to plant bare-root fruit trees, the end of February is around the last chance of the year
• Use a well-balanced fertilizer appropriate for the type of planting. This will help to encourage growth during the warm, moist spring months
• When new spring shoots start to pop up, protect them from slugs – a variety of methods are available which help to protect your plants without impacting other wildlife
• If using containers or raised beds to house your fruit and vegetables, use fresh compost to top dress them
• If weed control has not been carried out in late Winter when it is very wet under foot, get on top of it now and continue throughout summer. This will avoid weeds competing for light and space with your plants and help to prevent the spread of diseases

Get Weeds Under Control

• Hoe and mulch weeds as early as possible to keep them under control – early spring is a great time to start. Pecks has an extensive range of garden hand tools to help!
• Do not let weeds get on top of you by creating and commiting to a weeding schedule – it can be easy to put off, but weeding your garden regularly will pay dividends for its appearance and quality of your crops. Manually removing weeds is also much better for the environment than using chemical products
• Use good quality tools to cut down and uproot weeds before they start to seed. This will avoid them from spreading. Spear and Jackson has a great range of hand gardening tools stocked in our Groundcare and Country Store (See our Facebook page for the latest special offers on high-quality garden tools)

Prevention is Better than Cure

Weed control can be even easier if we stop to learn and understand why weeds grow. When you know why they grow, you are better equipped to stop them before they take hold. Weed seeds can be found in every part of the garden but only those in the top 2.5 to 5cms of soil get enough light to germinate. We need to assume that they are hiding there dormant, just waiting to break free. Each time you dig and cultivate, any of the waiting seeds can be awoken. So here are our recommendations for preventing weed growth:

• Only dig as and when you need to. Then without delay use mulch or plants over the disturbed spot. Leave those sleeping weed seeds imprisoned in the ground!
• Using a sharp tool or knife cut deep into the soil around the weed to sever the roots without having to disturb the surrounding earth too much
• Mulch is your best friend in the garden. Keep mulch around two inches deep. Any less and light may still get through, but any deeper and you can deprive the soil of oxygen. Mulch keeps the soil moist and cool but most importantly prevents weeds from receiving light. Organic mulches can sometimes contain the added benefit of crickets and carabid beetles, who love to demolish weed seeds.
• Enrich your soil with good compost (See our latest compost offers on Facebook and in-store now!) and organic matter whenever you can. Less weed seeds tend to germinate when soil is healthy and well fed.

Create a Garden That Looks Good, but is Comfortable too

When summer comes, you want to savour those rare warm evenings and receive maximum benefit from the hard work you have put in to making your garden look and smell great. Here are some tips to ensure your garden is comfortable for you to enjoy:

• At the planning stage, ensure any pathways are wide enough for at least two people to walk together side by side. If the walkway has tall plants either side, make the walkway wider. If you do not have space for a wider walkway keep smaller shorter plants at either side instead, plus ensure prickly or thorny plants are not planted too close to the edge of the path
• Ensure you have enough space in any entertaining areas, for garden furniture to be comfortably placed and easily accessed by you and your guests. Remember that you may need space to prepare a barbecue or to serve food and drinks from the house
• When planting keep in mind that the plants will get bigger in time so leave enough space in between. Quick growing, shorter-lived bedding plants and annuals can be used to fill in any initial gaps whilst waiting for the other plants to grow
• When picking your flowers and plants look beyond spring and summer. Make decisions which will also benefit Autumn and Winter, ensuring you have a garden to enjoy all year round. Plants that retain foliage all year round or produce lovely coloured leaves in Autumn for example
• Use plants in a practical way. Conifers and evergreens can be used to protect your garden from strong winds, whilst at the same time providing habitats for wildlife and a more natural appearance than fencing
• By looking at where the sunniest areas are in summer you can decide whether you may need additional shade. A tree or tall shrub in the right place can provide this but will need to be planted at the correct time of year in order to establish itself

Pecks Lawn, Groundcare and Country Store in Ely, Cambridgeshire stocks a wide array of gardening and outdoor products. Come and take a look in store to see the full range available. We can be found at 90 Lancaster Way Business Park, CB6 3NX Ely, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.

Alternatively, like and follow @ShopatPecks on Facebook to receive the latest information on upcoming special offers and to enter our regular competitions giving you the chance to win products from our store.

Sources

https://www.rhs.org.uk/

www.finegardening.com

https://www.thompson-morgan.com/top-10-summer-flowering-bulbs