March in the Garden...

• 1 Complete the pruning of wisteria, summer-flowering clematis and late-flowering shrubs such as buddleia and Russian sage
• 2 Give gardens a general tidy up and keep a look out for any weeds that are beginning to appear
• 3 Hoe and mulch borders, and beware slugs, use an organic pellet such as ferric phosphate
• 4 Set out seed potatoes in trays in a bright, cool, frost-free situation so that the shoots will form
• 5 Plant shallots, onion sets and early potatoes, spacing at 15cm (6″) intervals, and 30cm (12″) apart
• 6 While still in leaf lift and divide snowdrop bulbs, lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials
• 7 Plant dahlia tubers in trays of compost to encourage new shoots to appear
• 8 Sow outdoors vegetable seeds such as broad beans, carrots, beetroot, spinach and summer cabbage
• 9 Half-hardy annuals such as petunia, marigold, lobelia can be sown in the heated greenhouse or indoors
• 10 Cut back the winter stems of Cornus (dogwood) and Salix (willow) to use in spring flower displays