Early Spring

• Finally we have some milder weather and shoots are starting to appear!
• Protect new shoots of perennials and grasses from slugs and snails. I find copper rings (available from good garden centres) are effective.
• Clear away any dead growth from last years perennials and decidious grasses and ferns if you have not done so already.
• Put a mulch around your borders, of well rotted compost of horse manure, taking care not to put the mulch to close to the crown of perennials and grasses or the stems/trunks of shrubs and trees.
• Tie in the new growth of climbers.

Late Winter

• Keep pots off the ground with three bits of stone, or chippings or whatever you can find. This helps drainage, keeps the pot drier and so more frost resistant.
• Trim wisteria now by cutting back all the long wands of growth to a couple of buds. Next years flowers will mostly grow on these short stumpy spurs of growth. Also pull off any suckering shoots sprouting at ground level.
• Remove old leaves from hellebores to show off the flowers and prevent leaf spot disease infecting the new foliage.
• Dead head winter flowering pansies, violas and cyclamen in pots to encourage flowering.
• Firm in plants loosened by wind or frost, especially if recently planted.
• If you have a pond remove dead leaves, and float a ball on the surface to prevent it totally freezing over. If you haven’t done this, and your pond freezes and you have fish in your pond, melt a hole with the base of a saucepan of hot water. 
• And last but not least don’t forget to watch out for slugs and snails nibbling at any new growth.
  
  .

.