Spring is here… or is it? In grey Britain, the cold weather often outstays its welcome long after spring is meant to have arrived. This can be especially troublesome for those of us itching to get out into our gardens. If you had planned to get some gardening done yourself round about now, you can still do so… but, when the weather is holding you back, you might need to take a different approach to tackling and tending to your greenery.

Here are a few tips and pieces of advice for getting stuck into gardening when the cold climate is working against you. You’ll have green fingers again before you know it – whatever the weather!

Combat the Cold

Though the cold can hinder the growth of your plants and greenery, there are quite a few clever little hacks that can help you see some progress with gardening regardless. These include:

• Ensuring that plants with more tender flower buds or shoots are not planted in east-facing sites.
• Leaving the old growth of delicate and more tender plants unpruned over the winter months. This will ensure that the plant crowns stays protected, as pruning can result in frost damage to plants that are a little more sensitive to the weather.
• Avoiding frost pockets and lower sections of your garden, especially when planting your most tender plants. Cold air and frost naturally descend to lower points, so avoiding them will help to prevent damage.

It’s Never Too Late to Defend

If you’ve noticed that some of your plants have already taken damage from the onslaught of frost, you’ll be relieved to know there are more steps you can still take to defend them from further damage:

• When Spring comes and the cold persists, cut back frosted growth. This will prevent further plant death and encourage fresher produce to grow in place of struggling and less healthy plants.
• Dig up your smaller and more tender plants and take them to the safety of the indoors. This should help many of them produce new growth and recover, as long as they haven’t been subjected to a cold, wet and frosty environment for too long.

Snow More Worries

And of course, if you’re one of the unlucky ones to be hit by an unwelcome helping of pesky March snow (good old British weather, eh?), there are still things you can do to help your garden cope.

• Regularly shake any excess snow from the branches of your trees, shrubs or hedges. This will prevent them from bending and struggling under the extra weight.
• Use string to support branches of conifers and similar plants to stop them being pulled out of shape. If branches move away in awkward positions, they won’t spring back into place when the snow melts!
• Avoid walking and treading on snow-covered grass. This will damage the turf beneath and leave marks all over your lawn. It can also encourage the growth of pesky fungal diseases, which thrive in cool and damp conditions.

Thanks for taking the time to read our article on cool spring gardening tips! We’ve also got loads of garden spares and accessories to help you tackle any outdoor space and get it in top shape for spring… when it eventually decides to really show up.

Tags: Garden Care, Garden Spares