Finally the rain has subsided, and spring has officially arrived! Make the most of your outside space by getting garden savvy this spring with these spring gardening tips, courtesy of Trevena Cross Nurseries and Garden Centre at Breage. 

Hoe those weeds
With warmer, lighter days comes plenty of growth, and not always the wanted sort. Keep on top of rampant weeds with regular hoeing in beds and borders. On a dry day the weeds will soon wither and have little time to recover.

Plant out spring bedding and patio plants
Colour the patio with pots and troughs – or colour the garden in beds and borders, with a wide range of bedding and patio plants. Ready-planted pots and baskets are usually available at good garden centres too if you’re after ultimate convenience!

Dead head regularly once flowering takes over, and water daily – ideally early or late in the day. Don’t underestimate the need for water, especially in pots!

Keep the kitchen garden moving
With lots of veg plants about now you can plant out aubergines, peppers, tomatoes to name a few, and harvest any fruits of your labour to date, including lettuces, salad leaves or radishes. You can continue to sow veg like beetroot, beans, squash, sweetcorn and cucumbers, into well prepared outdoor beds. Don’t forget to ‘earth up’ your potatoes too!

No mow May?
Lots of people will be bringing the lawnmower out of hibernation and will be preparing to take up regular mowing again. Removing little and often will maintain the healthiest lawn.

Add cuttings (in thin layers) to the compost heap for use later as part of a rich mulch – your plants will thank you for it! Consider an application of a high nitrogen lawn fertiliser to encourage good health and condition too.

Also consider not mowing an area of the garden in support of no-mow May. Create a space where wildlife can thrive and wildflowers can grow. The natural look can be quite revealing and quite beautiful. 

Introduce and manage perennial plantings
There’s so much choice when it comes to perennials – to suit sunny, shady and dry-shade spots of the garden. They can provide so much wonderful summer colour in pots, beds and borders, and once established, with a bit of management, can also create new plants of their own, for free!

Taller perennials will need staking for support, and all should be kept well fed, watered and weed free during the growing season.

Stop unwanted visitors in their tracks
The beauty of a British spring and summer is that you can be enjoying beautiful sunshine one minute, and rain showers the next!

Beware of pesky slugs and snails when those damp conditions return, there is nothing they’ll enjoy more than feasting on new growth in the garden…particularly those veggies we’re all keen for them to steer clear of. Use child, pet and environmentally friendly management – there are several organic options available at reputable garden centres.

Trevena Cross, Breage, Helston, TR13 9ND
01736 763880
trevenacross.co.uk