March; making wonky vegetables great again.

Much has been in the news recently about the American party nominations along with some articles on the introduction of wonky vegetables to supermarkets.

I love wonky vegetables - especially organic ones or even better, home grown ones from the allotment. Full of flavour with the odd bit slug thrown in. Not sure about the super-clean, tasteless artificially orange carrot you see on TV with few of it's own hairs and often presented in ridiculous packaging. But who am I to judge?

But talking of things that have grown too big for their own good....and if you are in need of an antidote to media overload - now is the time to be ruthless with that Honeysuckle. I have lost count of the number of times I have gone into gardens and rather worried looking clients have complained about the size and woodiness of their rampant Honeysuckle.

Fear not - there is nothing to it. You can chop it right back to knee level and it will come back just fine. If it doesn't then it was past saving anyway.

It is also the month to cut back your roses. As I have suggested before - one third off in the late autumn and another third off in early spring is a good rule of thumb. Cut to just above a bud to avoid "die-back". By pruning you encourage healthy new growth, a better shaped plant and you can take out crossed, dead or diseased stems. That is the basic premise of all pruning.

I am looking forward to getting out and getting on with the following this month;

• Tidying up perennials that still need cutting back. Some, such as Sedum still display nice looking stems and seed heads so you might want to leave them for a bit longer.
• Get mulch spread over the borders to help keep the moisture in, the weeds down and to feed the soil. I am a big fan of the real thing - well-rotted cow manure.
• Add additional slow-release fertiliser to plants that have been struggling.
• There is still time to move evergreens as long as it is not in a cold snap.
• Not a very inviting task but now is the time to get into the pond ( or reach out from the edge ) and divide the marginal, pond and bog plants. Make sure you have a hot cuppa lined up!
• Work out your slug-defense regime. Beer traps? Grapefruit halves? Grit rings around plants? Night time patrols?
• In less frost-prone areas you can seed new lawns but always over-sow and put in place pest deterrents; conditions are never perfect so beware of bald patches.

Talking of bald patches...no...let's not go there. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the clouds are clearing. 

Happy Spring gardening and here's to ...making wonky vegetables great again!

(Actually - they already are).