This Month in the Garden
A month-by-month guide to the jobs that matter — pick a month to see what to do.
January in the Garden
- Plan beds and order seeds for the year
- Prune apple and pear trees while dormant
- Clean, sharpen and oil your tools
- Firm in any plants lifted by frost
- Keep feeding the birds
February in the Garden
- Chit early potatoes on a bright windowsill
- Prune roses and late-summer clematis
- Sow broad beans and chillies under cover
- Cut back ornamental grasses
- Force rhubarb for a sweeter crop
March in the Garden
- Sow hardy veg and start tender ones indoors
- Give the lawn its first light cut
- Mulch borders to lock in moisture
- Start dahlias into growth
- Prune bush roses and dogwoods
April in the Garden
- Sow and plant out as the soil warms
- Mow weekly and feed the lawn
- Divide overgrown perennials
- Stay on top of early slugs and snails
- Plant maincrop potatoes
May in the Garden
- Plant summer bedding once frost has passed
- Hang baskets and fill containers
- Earth up potatoes
- Harden off tender plants
- Mow weekly and trim lawn edges
June in the Garden
- Water new plants and containers in dry spells
- Deadhead regularly to keep blooms coming
- Mow weekly and feed the lawn
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs after flowering
- Watch for aphids, blackspot and lily beetle
July in the Garden
- Water containers daily in hot weather
- Keep deadheading and harvesting
- Trim hedges and fast-growing shrubs
- Raise the mower height in dry spells
- Feed tomatoes and hungry crops
August in the Garden
- Keep watering, especially pots and new plants
- Collect seed from favourite plants
- Prune summer-fruiting raspberries
- Feed and pinch out tomatoes
- Mow less in drought to protect the lawn
September in the Garden
- Repair and overseed worn lawns
- Plant spring-flowering bulbs
- Harvest and store crops
- Divide perennials and tidy borders
- Sow hardy annuals for next year
October in the Garden
- Rake up fallen leaves for leaf mould
- Scarify and aerate the lawn
- Plant bulbs, trees and shrubs
- Lift and store tender plants (dahlias, cannas)
- Give the lawn a final, higher cut
November in the Garden
- Clear leaves off the lawn and beds
- Plant bare-root trees, roses and hedging
- Wrap tender plants and pots against frost
- Clean and store tools for winter
- Mulch borders to protect roots
December in the Garden
- Plan next year and order seeds
- Protect vulnerable plants from hard frost
- Prune apple, pear and grape vines
- Keep feeding and watering the birds
- Apply a winter wash to fruit trees