Spring projects for the garden

Climbing Ambitions

Make good use of your vertical space by planting climbers and, even in the tiniest space, you can have colour and interest throughout the year. No garden should be without several clematis. There's practically one for every season. Starting with Clematis cirrhosa, C. armandii and C. macropetala in late winter, running through C. montana, the showy large-flowered hybrids in early summer and then the viticellas and C. tangutica which will still be flowering at Christmas.

One rule with clematis is to plant them deep - about 10cm lower than they are in their pot - to prevent clematis wilt, a disease that causes the top growth to wilt. It's not fatal but does mean you'll lose a year's growth. Pruning clematis is always considered a bugbear but is not as complicated as it sounds. For more information on pruning and the different varieties, go to Clematis on the Web. The International Clematis Society has a useful list of 'clematis for beginners' and is the ideal place to start. Once you've planted your clematis, you can move on to roses, honeysuckles and vines.

Other spring projects:

Support Act
Give your herbaceous perennials some support now, before they get too tall, and you'll prevent them from flopping later in the season. Use manufactured link stakes or hoops or get creative with some twiggy hazel peasticks. Make a wigwam or simple tripod of canes for climbers.

Summer Stunners
Plant some stunning summer bulbs now - alliums, agapanthus, dahlias, galtonias, gladiolus, cannas and lilies. They'll look great in late summer, either in the border or in containers which can be moved to fill in any gaps left by earlier flowerers.

Shopping List
If you're planning to buy some herbaceous perennials from a garden centre, they'll have a good selection at the moment. Rather than buying a selection of different plants, consider buying fewer plants in threes or fives to avoid a 'spotty' effect in your border.

Shady characters
Create your own tiny bit of lush, spring-time English woodland by planting primroses, daffodils, bluebells, wood anemones, wild garlic and ferns, foxgloves and woodrushes in a shady area. They'll all self-seed and multiply and the effect will be truly natural and virtually maintenance-free in no time.