This month the weather leaps towards spring and will often deliver an increase in warmer temperatures and brighter days.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Audley End plant fairAudley End plant fair (Image: Archant)

March will signal the start of the growing season and as the days lengthen throughout the month, so will the list of jobs.

Make the most of the fine and dry days to give your garden a thorough spring clean. This includes weeding through beds and borders, cutting back any remaining herbaceous perennials along with gathering any leaves or debris following last weeks strong winds.

With these jobs completed you and your garden will be ready for the season ahead. An exciting time!

Over the last three to four months the garden team at Audley End have been busy focusing on our winter work programme with large scale tasks such as preparing the beds through cultivation and feeding, reducing large shrubbery beds to improve views and presentation, rose and wisteria pruning to enhance flowering and carrying out projects including repairs to glasshouses, paths and lawns. It’s been a busy winter!

Now is the time our attention shifts away from those fundamental winter tasks and towards the growing season ahead. We begin our sowing schedule this month with thousands and thousands of both ornamental and vegetable seed being raised and grown on site. We have a heated environment to allow us to get a head start!

Other jobs to tackle in the garden this month include:

- Potatoes, onion sets, asapargus and shallots can all be planted this month. Prepare the ground and wait for dry conditions for planting to reduce damage to the soil.

- Begin to mow on dry days. The mild temperatures will encourage lawns to get growing so start with a light cut and then gradually lower the blades over the following weeks. Re-cut the edges with a half moon tool.

- Pick off any developing seedheads on daffodils but leave the foliage to die naturally. This encourages the plants energy to be conserved and will improve future performance.

- Plant snowdrops in the green to brighten up your garden for next year.

- Order your plug plants now. They’re sent at just the right time for planting.

- Live and divide herbaceous perennials to improve vigour and to create further plants for your borders or friends!

I hope to see you all in the garden at Audley End this month. Flowering spring bulbs, in particular daffodils will be at their very best this month and for the first time we will have a special historic display in our glasshouses. A must see.