March is an exciting time for gardeners as spring officially begins. With longer days and rising temperatures, it's the perfect month to prepare your garden for a season of growth and colour.

Here are the top 10 garden tips for March to help you get the most out of your outdoor space.

1. Start Sowing Seeds Indoors

March is ideal for starting vegetable and flower seeds indoors. Tomatoes, peppers, chillies, and aubergines benefit from an early start in a warm, bright spot. Flowers like sweet peas and cosmos can also be sown in trays and kept on a windowsill or in a heated greenhouse.

2. Prepare Your Soil

Before planting, check your soil condition. Warmer weather allows you to dig over beds, remove weeds, and incorporate well-rotted manure or compost. If your soil is heavy clay, adding grit or organic matter can improve drainage and texture.

3. Plant Early Potatoes

March is the time to plant early potatoes. If you've been chitting them (encouraging sprouts) since February, they’re ready to go in the ground. Dig trenches about 10cm deep, place potatoes with shoots facing up, and cover with soil. They should be ready to harvest in June or July.

4. Prune Roses and Shrubs

Roses should be pruned now to encourage healthy growth. Remove dead, diseased, or crossing branches, cutting just above an outward-facing bud. Other shrubs like buddleia, dogwood, and hydrangeas can also be pruned to shape them before new growth starts.

5. Feed Your Lawn

After winter, lawns often look tired. March is a great time to rake out moss and thatch, aerate compacted areas, and apply a spring lawn feed. If you have bare patches, overseed with grass seed and keep the area moist for quick germination.

6. Start Weeding

Weeds begin growing vigorously in March, so stay on top of them early. Hand-pull or hoe weeds before they establish deep roots. Applying a mulch of compost or bark can also suppress weed growth while improving soil moisture retention.

7. Divide and Replant Perennials

If your perennials (such as hostas, daylilies, or sedums) have become overcrowded, now is the time to divide and replant them. Carefully dig up clumps, split them with a spade, and replant in well-prepared soil to give them a fresh start.

8. Encourage Pollinators

To attract bees and butterflies, start planting nectar-rich flowers like primroses, hellebores, and crocuses. Leaving a section of your garden wild or adding a bug hotel can also support beneficial insects throughout the season.

9. Install Water Butts

Spring showers provide an excellent opportunity to collect rainwater. Installing water butts now will ensure you have a free water supply for the drier months ahead, reducing your dependence on mains water and keeping your plants hydrated sustainably.

10. Clean and Organise Your Greenhouse

If you haven’t done so already, give your greenhouse a spring clean. Wash down glass panels to maximise light, remove old plant debris, and check for pests. Organising pots, labels, and tools now will make the growing season smoother.