Spring garden maintenance: your complete checklist for a flying start

Spring is calling: time to get outside

The first warm rays of sunshine break through, blackbirds sing their hearts out, and green shoots are poking up everywhere. That can only mean one thing: it's time to wake your garden from its winter slumber. But where do you start? After months of rain, frost and wind, there's plenty to tackle.

GardenWorld helps you visualise your garden's potential after seasonal care. Upload a photo and discover the possibilities. But first: let's roll up our sleeves with this checklist.

Step 1: Clear up and take stock

Start with a walk around your garden. Pick up fallen branches, clear dead leaves from borders, and check which plants survived the winter. Some perennials look dreadful right now, but appearances can be deceptive. Hold off cutting back dead foliage until you spot new growth.

Check your tools too. A blunt pair of secateurs does more harm than good. Most garden centres and RHS partner shops sell sharpening stones for a couple of pounds. Ten minutes of sharpening saves hours of frustration.

Borders and paths

Edge your borders with a half-moon edger. It's such a small job, but it makes an enormous difference. Pull out any weeds that sneaked in between paving slabs and through the borders during winter.

Step 2: Soil and feeding

The soil is your garden's foundation. Push a fork into your borders to loosen compacted ground. Don't dig it over: that disrupts the soil life beneath. Spread a layer of compost, about three to five centimetres, over your borders. No homemade compost? Many councils offer free compost collections.

Let the soil rest for a couple of weeks after feeding. The worms and microorganisms will do the heavy lifting. On heavy clay, working in some horticultural grit improves drainage wonderfully.

Check the pH

A simple pH test from the garden centre tells you whether your soil is too acidic or alkaline. Most garden plants thrive at a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Too acidic? A handful of garden lime works wonders.

Step 3: Prune what needs pruning

March is ideal for pruning summer-flowering shrubs. Think hydrangeas (paniculata and arborescens types), buddleja and hibiscus. Spring-flowering shrubs like forsythia and lilac should be pruned after they flower.

Fruit trees ideally should have been pruned in February, but if you missed it: better late than never. Just make sure you prune before the buds break.

Step 4: Refresh the lawn

Your grass has had a rough time. Start by scarifying to remove moss and thatch. You can hire a scarifier from most tool hire shops for around fifteen pounds. Overseed bare patches and apply a spring feed.

Wait to mow until the grass is actively growing, usually from mid-March. Set your mower high: five centimetres is perfect for the first cut of the year.

Step 5: Planting and sowing

Once the risk of frost passes, you can get going. Sow annual summer flowers indoors on a sunny windowsill. Outside, you can already sow broad beans, peas and radishes. They handle a bit of cold without complaining.

Perennials that have outgrown their spot can be divided and replanted now. Free new plants! Share them with neighbours and turn it into a social gardening moment.

Ready for spring

With this checklist, you've laid a solid foundation for a beautiful gardening year. It doesn't all need to happen in one weekend. Spread the jobs over a few weeks and enjoy the process. A little daily garden time is the best therapy around.

Curious what your garden could look like after all that hard work? Try GardenWorld and be surprised by the possibilities for your outdoor space.