SPRING may have sprung, but unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee that your garden will be in full bloom.
If you want to transform your outdoor space in the next few weeks, these are the easiest plants to add – and you can buy them for less than a fiver.
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Even better, these tried-and-true flowers are recommended by the nation’s favorite gardener: Alan Titchmarsh.
Appearing in Gardeners’ World Magazine Podcastthe 74-year-old shared some of his favorite spring flowers – many of which cost just a few pounds.
At the top of her list was the classic symbol of spring: the daffodil.
If you didn’t start planting blubs last fall, don’t feel bad, as the expert says it’s surprisingly simple to inject some color into your outdoor space.
“The problem with nurseries and garden centers is that they’re very clever,” he joked, saying, “They’ll think ‘Oh no, someone’s going to forget to put this in, so let’s put some in pots now and sell them at spring.”
Coming in stunning shades of sunny yellow and bright orange, you can easily find the plant for just £3.99 in stores – usually almost ready to bloom.
The gardener suggests taking mini varieties such as Jet Fire, Jenny and Little Witch at your local garden center, with the bulbs packaged in small pots.
While this is an easy way to inject some color into a small space, the host and broadcaster had one piece of advice for listeners.
He told fans: “Always try to find some that are in bud, showing color, but haven’t run out of pots and displayed in the garden center.
“That way you have the entire display at home.”
If you haven’t purchased miniature daffodils yet, they can bloom every year if you make sure they are well buried.
Instead of letting the fat reach the surface like they are in the vase, you need to make sure they are well covered so the bubbles have a chance to survive the winter.
Alternatively, you can keep them in pots scattered around your garden to add some sunshine to your outdoor space.
While there are plenty of potted spring flowers you can add, Alan also suggested using the humble pansy in your garden.
“Now we have beautiful winter-flowering pansies,” he said, enthusiastically telling listeners, “They will get hit by a little bit of frost, but they recover very quickly.”
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Just like mini daffs, pansies are relatively inexpensive, with one nursery offering a pack of 40 (yes, you read that right) for just £9.99.
And if they die after a cold spell, remember to keep pinching off the dead flowers and they will continue to bloom until late summer.
With these bargains, your garden will look beautiful in no time.
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May gardening work
The Sun’s gardening editor Veronica Lorraine shared the tasks you need to get done in May.
GARDEN growth can go from zero to ninety in May, depending on the weather. The last frosts in the UK usually occur at the beginning of the month, so suddenly there is so much more to do and grow.
Plant dahlia tubers
It’s a joy to finally plant your dahlia tubers. Keep in mind how big they can get—and space accordingly—anything up to two feet apart.
It’s a good idea to invest in your backing bets now rather than trying to work around them.
And be sure to include lots of well-rotted manure or decent compost to feed it, and then mulch it to keep it moist and suppress weeds. They usually start to bloom in July.
Final feeding for spring flowers
You can give any remaining tulips and daffodils a cheeky feed.
While most bulbs are no longer guaranteed to come back year after year, as long as you let them die naturally, there’s a good chance they’ve stored enough energy to come back again. Tomato feeding is fine.
Tie climbers
Your clematis, honeysuckle and rambling roses should already be well underway – try using plastic string to tie them back to the support or clip them together to ensure they don’t sprout in crazy directions.
Feed the lawn
It’s not too late to give your lawn a good nourishment.
Whether you use granulated or liquid, it can be a good boost to get you through the harshest summer months.
When mowing the grass, do not shorten the length of the cut too much and never shorten the height of the grass by more than a third.
Be creative
It’s also time to get creative when hanging baskets and pots.
Pelargoniums, which many people call geraniums, and begonias are a good, low-cost way to get beautiful flowers that return all summer long in your baskets.
And the pots can be planted with spring bulbs.
Don’t forget the greenhouse!
Give your greenhouse a good tidy and clean the glass inside and out.
Improved light will help plants grow faster indoors, and tidiness is good for the soul.
You can simply use a homemade solution of white wine vinegar and water – or even plain if you’re tired – which gives a really nice shine.
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