Shrubs are the backbone of any mixed border and their framework contributes structure throughout the year. Magnificent now is the large shrub or small tree magnolia stellata. This is one of the first magnolias to flower and an established plant will literally be covered in little stars. For scent, the evergreen mahonia x media ‘charity’ is unrivalled. Whilst the spectacular, near orange flowers of berberis darwinii are bound to arouse interest.

Forsythia
Golden yellow flowers which should be pruned after flowering. Forsythia may be trained against a wall or planted as a hedge. Forsythia will grow to be a tall plant and is best situated at the back of a border to give maximum exposure when the flowers emerge. Also if you intend to plant as a hedge mix it with hawthorn as this will make your hedge attractive for a greater part of the year.

Viburnum x burkwoodii
Fragrant flowers, pink in bud opening to white, are set off by dark shiny leaves which are felted on the underside. This plant will grow to 6 foot wide by 6 foot tall so you will need to give this plant plenty of room.

Camellia ‘water lilly’
Beautiful spring flowering shrubs of which ‘water lilly’ is one of the first. Camellias require acid or neutral soil in a position away from early morning sun.

In March the first primulas and early bulbs bloom in the bog garden but you will still have to wait until April for the water garden year to start.

Caltha will then be in full flower and the fish in your pond will start to become more active as the water starts to warm up.

New water lily pads appear and so does frogspawn. This new awakening means there are jobs for you to do.

If you have netting over your pond, this should be cleaned of any debris and leaves and also check that any landscape features such as slabs around your pond or rockery stones have not become loose over winter – this will keep both you and your fish safe.

As your fish start to arouse, supply them with a mixed diet at this time as their disease resistance is at its lowest. You can give them normal floating food, as well as some chopped up worms and daphnia.

When your fish start to come to the surface of your pond, visually check them over for any problems with their scales and fins as this is a good indicator of their general health.

This is also good time to check your pond electrics over. Make sure that any visible cables have not been affected by the weather. Also check your pump and if you did not clean and maintain it in the autumn, this job should be done now to keep your pump in good working order.

In most areas of the UK March is the best month to prune bush and standard roses but it is important to burn all cuttings.

Fertilizer may be spread around the base of your roses straight after pruning but generally it is better to wait until April.

Finish off planting this month.

Weed beds thoroughly and apply a Simazine based weed killer if hoeing is not effective.

Pot roses in the greenhouse may now be budding and a weekly feed with liquid fertilizer will improve bloom quality.

Continue spraying shoots with water and increase the greenhouse temperature to 15 – 18 degrees celsius.

Fish are now semi dormant so they should not be fed.

The established plants have been cut down and this season is unsuitable for planting aquatics.

Container grown bog plants can be planted at this time if it is a mild spell and the ground is reasonably dry.

The only time the pond will need attention is if there is a very cold snap. Obviously small ponds will be turned into blocks of ice, which will mean death for any fish and most plants including water lilies. You can use wooden boards and sacking for a short time if arctic weather is forecast but the flora and fauna should not be left in the dark for too long.

In a larger pond neither plants nor fish are directly killed by an ice sheet above them but if it prolongs there can still be a serious problem. If an ice sheet is on a ponds surface for more than a couple of days, the gases produced from decaying organic matter – marsh gas – can build up to a toxic level. This can be deadly to fish and plants, so the best thing to do is create a hole in the top of the ice which goes down into the water. Do not try and crack the ice with a hammer or blunt object as this can cause harm to the fish. Instead, get a pan of boiling water and melt the whole open. Try to remove about 1 inch of ice. The hole must be kept open for as long as the ice is thick on the top. By creating the hole all of the gases can escape.

If you are very worried about the freezing weather, you can purchase a low voltage pond heater. This is connected to the mains and will keep the pond just above freezing. Even with a heater in place it is still a good idea to check your pond regularly.

In a concrete pond, you can float a wooden plank in the pond to take the pressure off the ice sheet and when the pond is not frozen you can run the pump every fortnight or so just to keep the water freshened.

Now is also a great time to look for new ideas and plants for your pond and plan for the year ahead.

Soil conditions in this month will almost certainly be wet. In light soil areas you will still be able to plant but only if the temperature is above freezing.
In mild districts and sheltered areas you can start to prune floribundas that are vigorous.

Stocks budded last season can be cut back.

Pot roses will be starting to grow so a temperature of 10 to 15 degrees celsius should be maintained. Spray the roots with water to create moist conditions. Greenfly and caterpillars can cause serious damage to your plants so you should keep a close eye out for these pests.

Suckers are shoots which grow from your rootstock rather than from the variety that you bought. These stems are easy to trace back to the root and will look quite different to the main variety. Suckers can be caused by damaging the root – such as hoeing too close, frost damage or loose planting. If this is not checked it can lead to your plant reverting back to the rootstock variety.

Tackle each sucker as you find it and this will make removal very easy. If you trace the sucker back to the root, you can then simply pull it off.

With newly planted roses you will have to put your foot on the base of the plant and then pull the sucker off. It is better to pull the offending stem off rather than cutting because it will not grow back. If you cut it, it will most likely come back. Once the sucker is removed you can then put the soil back and heel in.

With standards it is best to rub off suckers growing on the stem as soon as they are seen.

As the weather has been so bad around most of the country it is a good idea to check your trees over. With the snow and the very low temperatures it is possible that your trees may be damaged, either with cracks in the trunk or damaged branches. If you do find any major problems, a professional tree surgeon should be called in. If you have smaller trees and we do experience more snow, it is a good idea to shake any snow off the branches so that there is no weight bearing down on them.

If you have either a handmade compost heap or a plastic conical composter these will still need to be attended to at this time. Even with frost on an open compost heap and the cold weather attacking all others, the bacteria and other organisms are still working in the middle of the heap. So with a small fork you can turn your compost, spreading all the heat and organisms so that your compost becomes more efficient.

Frosts are always possible in January so there is little to do in the rose garden this month.

Check roses growing on supports to make sure that the ties are strong enough to hold them.

Inspect autumn-planted bushes and standards to see if they have been loosened by frost. Firm if necessary.

Planting can take place if the soil is free draining and not heavy, and if weather is dry but not freezing.

Beds to be planted in March should be prepared in this month.

Heating of the greenhouse containing pot roses may be required to keep temperature at 4 to 7 degrees.