Preparing the garden for spring

What easy-to-grow plants would you recommend to inject a little colour into the garden at this time of year?

Galanthus nivalis, or snowdrops, are a sure sign that spring is on its way when these dainty little beauties appear. Ideal for naturalising and also for cutting – they look lovely in little posies. They flower January through to March.

Pansy Frizzle Sizzle has frilled petals and colourful mix of bold, bright colours of this variety are stunning, and make a real change from traditional pansy varieties. They flower from December to May.

Winter flowering Heather will add texture, form and colour to the winter garden. Perfect in pots to dress up patios and steps for winter, mixed with pansies, violas and early flowering bulbs they really do create a lovely display.

Skimmia japonica Rubella is an evergreen shrub with stunning red buds that then open into clusters of small white flowers.

What key plants need pruning before spring arrives?

Winter is a good time to prune back woody shrubs in preparation for spring. Prune out any dead or diseased growth to tidy and ‘cleanse’ the plant. Shrubs such as Forsythia, Syringa and Buddleja all benefit when you prune out the more mature stems to encourage new healthy growth, leaving the younger stems in to flower.

How can gardeners improve the overall look of their garden during winter without causing any damage to dormant plants?

We love to plant up pots, containers and hanging baskets with winter flowering bedding plants to dress up patios, steps and entrances.  Our favourite flowers to use for this are Pansies and Violas as there are so many bright and cheery colour mixes to choose from that will flower throughout autumn-spring. Another great way to improve the look of your garden at this time of year is to use light. Decorate pots of standard bays or topiary with fairy lights either side of your door as a welcome entrance, or light up a pathway or border with solar powered garden lights creating a pretty light display.

What plants can be grown from seed starting now to give colour in the garden this year?

Achillea is a good all round first year flowering perennial plant that butterflies and bees love. Sow indoors now and plant out in spring to enjoy its flowers in late summer-autumn.

Begonia semperflorens is ideal for the lazy gardeners. It’s super low maintenance, drought tolerant, perfect for sun or shade and absolutely covered in lush foliage (green or red depending on variety). Sow indoors now and then plant out when weather permits.

Lobelia Cascade Mix is a good summer flowering garden performer. Its trailing habit is ideal for use in hanging baskets and around the edge of containers

Salvia farinacea ‘Victoria’ is our favorite variety, awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit for its outstanding garden performance. It has good weather resistance and stunning deep blue flower spikes that look fantastic as a central plant in a pot or amongst other summer bedding in the border

Sweet Peas are great for earlier flowering. Sow now indoors then plant out into the garden later. Sweet Peas are one of the nations favorite flowering plants with their gorgeous high scent, climbing ability & lovely flower stems they are a must for any garden

What should gardeners do to protect new shoots of perennials and bulbs that have come into growth so early this year?

The best way to protect early perennial shoots is to use garden fleece to cover over emerging shoots when a hard frost is forecast. Using a garden mulch around the base of the new shoots would also help during bouts of cold weather.