In the garden: Spring has officially sprung

It is official, spring has officially sprung, with the day length now marginally longer than the night, as we have passed the date of the spring equinox, which was March 20 this year.

It was the date that the sun sat directly above the equator, and day and night were of equal length.

There has already been a noticeable increase in bird activity, as they begin feathering their nests in anticipation of new arrivals this spring, and there is a marked increase in bird song now also.

From now until the longest day in June, the day length will get longer than night, so let the good growing times roll!

We are all beginning to think about sowing seeds and getting planting, with increased hours of daylight creating more favourable growing conditions.

Temperature plays a vital role in seed germination, and the advice is not to get sowing in earnest until the temperatures are also favourable.

So far this March, temperatures have been slightly above average for the time of year. But do not get complacent as there is still opportunity for things to go awry, and it is very demoralising to lose plants so early in the year to cold snaps.

If you’re unsure, then hold off for a while, particularly if indoor growing space is limited.

Working in the garden last weekend, the unofficial turning point of the growing year, most of the work done involved pruning outdoors and some planting and clearing indoors in the polytunnel, as the temperatures were low, with a noticeable wind chill factor brought by a northerly breeze.

Our instincts kick in when we’ve been gardening for a number of years, and the more experience we have, then the easier it is to trust our gut when making decisions about planting.

Warmer days will come, and it will feel perfectly right and not forced to be planting directly into the soil - and for now we will wait.

If you are at the beginning of your growing journey, then it is a good idea to get familiar with the microclimate in your garden. There are some valuable resources online in the form of weather and climate charts.

Met Éireann have compiled a summary report of Ireland’s climate averages from 1991 to 2020 which looks at average rainfall, mean temperatures, sunshine and wind, and which makes for interesting reading if you are a gardener or not.

Local farmers and growers will also be a valuable source of local conditions, and it is an essential part of growing successfully, getting to know your soil, microclimate and local growing particulars.

This will influence greatly where shelter belts and native woodlands will be planted, where a glasshouse or polytunnel will be positioned, and the best spot for a herbaceous border or vegetable area.

What plants will be planted? What is the right plant and right place? Knowing your growing environment will influence how early you plant tender annuals out into the soil.

Data gathered at Roches Point in Co. Cork has recorded one night of frost in May over the last number of years, and the same data at Birr, Co. Offaly, recorded seven nights of frost in May, making planting out earlier a much riskier prospect further north.

There is lots stirring in the garden and every day reveals a new surprise in the form of spring flowering plants.

Chinodoxa are popping up with their bright blue and white star-shaped flowers providing vibrant pops of colour at ground level.

Tulips are generally a bit later flowering and are beginning to appear above ground as they prepare to create a display this spring.

Magnolias, camellias, forsythia and rhododendrons are some of the best shrubs for beginning the colour this spring, and will continue to create colour and vibrancy in the garden over the next few months.

Cherries will be hot on their heels and generally steal the show with their colourful and showy flowers. They are a great tree for a small garden, particularly the cultivars that create an umbrella shape that will camouflage a shed or composting area at the end of the garden.

Two of the best cultivars are Prunus ‘Shirotae’ and Prunus ‘Shogetsu’. Both have good spreading habits, getting to about 6-8 metres tall with a similar spread.

The great thing about cherry trees is that they not only provide spring flower colour, they also contribute to the garden with beautiful autumn leaf colour as well, and many of them have attractive bark, with the signature lenticels creating rings around the trunk.

There is still some time to get a tree into the ground this spring, so maybe a cherry tree will be added to the garden to create some spring colour next year.

They are considered a short-lived tree, usually getting to about 70-80 years before they begin to decline.,

Happy spring planting!

Plant of the Week

One of my favourite spring flowering shrubs is Corylopsis pauciflora, or the buttercup winter hazel. It is a deciduous shrub which bears fragrant racemes of bell-shaped yellow flowers in early spring that look like cheerful tassles hanging from the branches.

The shrub can get a bit crowded in the middle, so some thinning out of branches and dead material every few years will benefit the overall shape and health of the plant.

It will grow best on a free-draining soil in partial shade and needs an acid soil.

It is a slow-growing shrub and will not require a lot of maintenance, ideal for a smaller garden to provide some spring interest, perhaps underplanted with some spring flowering bulbs.