Gardening Tips

Although the days may still be cold, there’s lots you can be doing in preparation for Spring.

Why not sow some seeds indoors or in your greenhouse? Fresh herbs such as basil, mint and parsley can been grown successfully indoors, as well as winter salads such as rocket, lambs’ lettuce and cress. Simply sow the seeds in a seed tray, using good quality potting compost, water well to start off the germination process, then place on a warm and sunny windowsill, away from draughts. Make sure that you harvest them regularly to maintain growth.

Alongside herbs and salads, popular summer flowers including Sweet Peas, Geraniums and Begonias can be started off indoors. The Arium has a huge range of seeds, we also have some lovely Grow Your Own starter kits for adults and children, great for all the family and educational too.

Jobs for the month

• If you are planting seeds or plants, make sure to clean your garden tools, as well as pots. We have a wide selection of good quality tools at The Arium, so why not treat your garden to some new ones!

• Deadhead winter flowering plants such as primrose and pansies to encourage new blooms

• Tidy up herbaceous perennials. As the new growth starts to emerge, remove last year’s old stems completely

• Fill gaps in the borders with snowdrops, crocus hyacinths, iris and daffodils – pre-potted bulbs are now on sale at The Arium and will add colour to dull areas or plant in containers to brighten up your outdoor space. Plant cyclamen too, these beautiful evergreens in pink, purple and white they can be planted in light shade and will flower for years to come.

• Hellebores will be starting to blossom; creating some late winter colour they will bloom through to April. With a lovely choice of tones, they are easy to grow in light shade or a sunnier spot and their glossy evergreen leaves provide colour throughout the year. A fully hardy perennial, growing to around 35cm, they are the perfect addition for a border or a container and survive the coldest of winters.

• Providing the ground is not frozen or waterlogged, now is the ideal time to plant fruit trees. Choose a spot in full sunlight, not in the shade. Prepare a decent sized planting hole, and before planting the tree or bush put the roots in a bucket of water for 6 to 12 hours. This will invigorate root growth and restore moisture to the roots. Short of space, we’ve got some patio fruits for container growing. So, whether apples, pears, plums berries or currants are your favourite, we’ve got the fruit for you to enjoy come summer!

Spend some time with the children this half-term! Take a look at our new Young Growers section where there's lots of fabulous ideas for the next generation of gardeners! Pick some colourful spring bulbs or flowers together, get your wellies on, and spend the afternoon in the garden.

If the weather is bad, how about planting some bulbs indoors to cheer up your windowsills. There's lots of ideas for our Young Growers.

Wildlife

National Nest Box Week takes place in February every year, organised by the British Trust for Ornithology, it’s aim is to encourage more people to help the birds by putting up nest boxes.

Different species require different types of boxes, and we have a full range at The Arium, birds will start prospecting sites from February, before the main breeding season of March to August.

Placement is important, boxes should be placed in quieter areas of the garden, away from bird feeders, where bird activity could disturb nesting pairs. The entrance should be sheltered from wind, rain and strong sunlight, and care should be taken to avoid branches which can allow access to predators such as cats.

If you’re new to gardening, or just need some advice, please chat to one of our nursery team who’ll be glad to help you. Happy Gardening!