March is the time to...

Sue and Nick at Barnsdale Gardens

BORDERS: Tidy them up by weeding, forking over, cutting back and dividing herbaceous perennials if needed.

COMPOST: Turn your compost heaps and empty ones that are ready for use.

GRASS: Scarify, aerate and feed all grass areas. Re-seed or turf bare areas.

MOWERS: Service the mower. Sharpen the blades and check the oil, spark plugs and air filters.

MULCHES: Spread woodchip mulch over beds and borders to suppress weeds and conserve moisture. Top up existing mulches.

PLANT LABELS: We have a good number to hand and engrave them with plant names of seeds and seedlings.

POTTED PLANTS: Water your outside pots if you need to.

SELF-SEEDED PLANTS: We dig up plants that have self seeded in the wrong place carefully and replant them in a more suitable position.

SOWING: We sow various annuals and perennials for use around the gardens at Barnsdale.

MARIGOLDS: At the end of March we'll prick out the pot marigold Calendula 'Daisy May', that we sowed in the third week of February, into modules.

RUDBECKIA: Around mid-March we pot on all varieties of Rudbeckia into 7cm (3in) pots.

SOWING PEAS IN GUTTERS: In the second week we sow pea 'Little Marvel' into guttering.

Sowing lettuce in modules

SOWING VEG IN MODULES: In the second week we will sow broad bean 'Aquadulce Claudia' and celery 'Giant Pascal' and 'Golden Spartan'. In the third week, we'll sow lettuce 'Blush' into modules.

SOWING VEG IN TRAYS: In the second week we will sow Brussels sprouts 'Bedford Fillbasket' and 'Brigitte'; cabbage 'Greyhound', 'Hispi' and 'Red Drumhead'; cauliflower 'Mini Ido', 'Patriot', 'Purple Graffiti' and 'Romanesco'; and kohl rabi 'Lanro' and 'Purple and White Mix'. By week four, we will have sown lettuce 'Sangria' and Unrivalled' into trays.

PRICKING OUT VEG: Towards the end of March, we prick out the aubergines and peppers that are ready into modules. At the end of March, we also prick out the Brussels sprouts, cabbages and kohl rabi that we sowed in trays earlier, into modules.

POTTING ON VEG: In the first week, we pot 'Lollo Rosso' into 7cm (3in) pots.

SPRAYING: Last year we spotted aphids and whitefly in the greenhouse and sprayed them with insecticidal soap, which we'll do again if these pests appear.

VENTILATE: We ventilate the conservatory and greenhouses when required.

WATERING: Water in the greenhouse and conservatory where necessary.

CLOCHES: We wash down the polythene on all our cloches. Last year we also made a cloche to fit the square beds in our parterre.

DIRECT SOW: We direct sow carrot 'Chantenay', onion 'White Lisbon', parsnip 'Tender and True', radish 'Cherry Belle'; and spinach 'Lazio' and 'Perpetual' in the third week.

GARLIC: This month we'll plant the variety 'Solent White' in our Elizabethan vegetable garden and gentleman's cottage garden.

ONIONS: In the third week, we plant the variety 'Ailsa Craig' in the parterre.

PLANTING OUT: In the fourth week, we'll plant out cabbage 'Golden Acre Primo' and cauliflowers 'Candid Charm' and 'Mayflower' under netted cloches in the allotment. We'll also plant out endive 'Moss Curled' and lettuce 'Lollo Rosso' under Victorian cloches in the Elizabethan vegetable garden.

POTATOES: In the third week, we'll plant out one row each of 'Foremost', 'Rocket' and 'Swift' under polythene.

SWEET PEAS: In the third week, we'll erect a wigwam and plant out sweet peas in the Elizabethan vegetable garden.

TIDYING UP: We tidy up around the strawberry bed and herb wheel.