Nine gardening jobs to tackle this spring to make your garden 'burst into life' (2025)

A gardening expert has shared the key jobs that gardeners should take on this month

March is a busy but essential month for gardeners to get their outdoor space in tip-top condition in time for summer. As we reach the first official day of spring (March 20), it is the perfect time to get outside and tackle those must-do gardening jobs.

Gardening expert Fiona Jenkins, who has more than twenty-five years of experience as a landscaper, has shared nine jobs that households should tackle that will see your garden 'bursting into life in no time'.

"March is when we can finally say goodbye to winter and hello to spring. A little planning and preparation now can mean fresh crops, colourful flowers, and beautiful garden scenery later down the line," Fiona says.

"Good gardening starts long before you sow the first seed, and March is perfect for reflecting and preparing for the season ahead."

Here are nine essential jobs you should carry out this spring, according to Fiona:

Prepare soil for sowing

If your winter digging is complete, you can now make the final preparations to get your soil ready for sowing plants and crops.

Get rid of any weeds, take out any stones and unwanted debris, sprinkle some organic fertiliser over the area, and rake the surface down to leave a soft and crumbly bed for seeds.

Over the winter, when our gardens are less tended to, weeds will begin to grow. You should remove as many of these weeds as you can to prepare the soil, either with a weed killer or by hand. Rake the soil to keep the airflow going and ensure that your seeds and seedlings have the best possible materials and nutrients for growing when you start planting them.

Clean and sharpen garden tools

Clean and sharp garden tools will help to prevent the spread of plant diseases, as well as last longer and save you money in the long run. To effectively clean tools, make use of a scourer, hot water, and strong detergent. Metal tools such as spades, hoes, trowels and rakes may also need oiling to keep them in good condition and prevent rusting.

This is also a good opportunity to sort through your shed, get rid of anything you no longer need or tools that you have duplicates of and purchase any necessary replacements on top of supplies needed for the growing season, such as fertilisers and compost.

Begin to sow fruit and vegetables

This is a great time to begin sowing certain fruit and vegetable seeds indoors, such as tomatoes, aubergines, chillies, and cucumbers. These crops enjoy warm conditions to grow and thrive and are best kept indoors until they start to sprout. A greenhouse is ideal, but a warm windowsill will also be fine.

Outside, crops such as peas, carrots, beetroot, spring onions, and broad beans will be ready for sowing in the soil that you have carefully prepared for them. It is also a good time to start planting early potatoes, onions, garlic and shallots and moving fruits such as strawberries to an outdoor growing environment.

Plant summer bulbs

As spring sets in, the soil will start to get warmer, so it is a great time to plant your summer flowering bulbs. These types of flowers are often found ready-grown and in full bloom at garden centres in summer, but this is the most expensive way to buy them, and you can easily grow them yourself.

Some of the best summer bulbs to plant this Spring include dahlias, begonias, lilies, peonies, and gladioli. Planting them in March will give you a beautiful bloom in the later summer months – just take any necessary precautions to protect your plants if a late frost occurs.

Encourage wildlife

March is a good time to start making preparations to encourage more wildlife into your garden. If you are a bird enthusiast, you may have already kept feeders stocked up over the winter to keep our feathered friends nourished. But why not try getting crafty and building your very own birdhouse?

Bug hotels are also a birdhouse and a very fun and eco-friendly shelter to build. This can be a particularly good activity with children as it will allow them to get creative painting it and then excitedly explore the different bugs that enter. A pond is also a great way to attract wildlife, and you can even set up a makeshift without doing any digging.

Get the lawn ready

With the spring and summer months approaching, you may be starting to become more aware of how your lawn has become a little neglected over winter and needs shaping up. Tidy the edges of your lawn and treat any unwanted moss and weeds that have grown over the colder months.

Give your lawn an early spring feed with plenty of nutrient-rich fertiliser to restore it to full health. Planting more grass seeds in the early spring months is also a great way to boost the thickness of your lawn over the coming year. If the risk of frost has passed, you may even wish to start your regular mowing schedule.

Clear up debris

Before you can start to rearrange your garden furniture, paint the fences, and take any other necessary steps to make it a beautiful haven for sitting out during the summer months, you will need to clear up any debris.

This is likely to consist of branches and fallen leaves that have come down over autumn and winter, which, if left untreated, can harbour diseases and provide a breeding ground for bacteria that can infect your plants.

Once you have cleared up your garden waste, don’t just throw it away – these materials are ideal for creating your own compost. Combine with vegetable and fruit peelings, teabags, toilet roll tubes, cereal boxes, eggshells, etc., to create the perfect nutritious mixture.

Clean the patio

Once the debris is removed, you will likely also notice that the winter months have brought with them a build-up of debris and grime on your patio, decking, or other hard landscaping areas. Sweep away any dirt and debris from the area before preparing to deep clean and get it looking shiny and new.

A pressure washer will be the fastest way to achieve maximum effect. However, if this resource is not available to you, you can also do the job manually by mixing warm water and vinegar together and scrubbing the affected area with a garden broom.