After weeks of grey skies and rain, it finally feels like spring is just around the corner! As we move from February into March, hardy winter plants will start to fade, giving us the perfect excuse to make way for a fresh burst of spring colour. Keep reading for our top tips and recommendations on how to take your garden from winter into spring….
Freshen up your beds and borders
Spring bedding plants such as primroses, polyanthus and potted bulbs are the perfect way to brighten up containers, window boxes and borders. Pop into your local British Garden Centre and head straight for the bedding plants area to find a lovely selection of spring colour, including some great value Best Buy offers.
Now is also a great time to give your existing winter plants a tidy up to stretch a few more weeks’ life out of them. Deadheading spent flowers can encourage a little extra life, especially from winter pansies, which often reward you with a second flush if fed regularly.
Similarly, rather than pulling everything out straight away, many winter plants are worth keeping for their foliage. Hellebores and winter heathers continue to look good long after flowering, helping to maintain structure while new plants settle in.
Spring stars to plant now
Early spring wouldn’t be the same without primulas and polyanthus. Available in almost every colour imaginable, they thrive in cool temperatures and deliver weeks of impact with very little effort.
Spring pansies and violas offer brighter colours and larger flowers than their winter counterparts, while Bellis adds a soft, cottage-garden feel in shades of white, pink and red.
Potted bulbs are another must-have at this time of year. Daffodils such as ‘Tête-à-Tête’ and ‘February Gold’ are among the first signs that spring has arrived, while tulips, crocuses, muscari and snowdrops bring colour to containers and rockeries.
For fragrance, hyacinths are hard to beat and look great place near doorways or along pathways.
Perennials and shrubs for lasting impact
Beyond bulbs and bedding, there’s plenty of perennials and shrubs you can plant now that will shine in spring.
Pulmonaria and Bergenia offer early flowers alongside their attractive foliage, while Forsythia will deliver a burst of sunshine with its golden blooms. Pieris is another fantastic choice that delivers an abundance of texture and colour with its striking red young leaves.
Camellias, Skimmia, rhododendrons and azaleas provide longer-lasting colour and structure, with Skimmia also offering fragrance and year-round interest.
For later in the season, plants like Erigeron and Erysimum bridge the gap beautifully, while Lupins, Delphiniums and Scabiosa bring height, movement and pollinator-friendly planting to beds and borders.
Getting ready for the season ahead
When choosing plants, look for healthy growth, good leaf colour and plenty of buds — plants just coming into flower will give you the longest display.
Keep tender bedding protected from late frosts until early spring and stock up on compost, including ericaceous varieties for acid-loving plants.
Thanks for reading.
