Dobbies unveils spring gardening checklist for 2025
Dobbies, Tall brown wooden grow house, £169.99 | Dobbies Garden Centre
Words by Dobbies Garden Centre
IG: @dobbiesgardencentres
Covered by Conker Nature Magazine
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First Published: 31st January 2025 at 10:00 AM GMT
As the days get brighter and we prepare for spring it comes arguably the busiest season in a gardener’s calendar.
Spring gardening lifestyle | Dobbies
As the days get brighter and we prepare for spring, arguably the busiest season in a gardener’s calendar, Dobbies Garden Centres has unveiled what we should be doing in our gardens at this time of year. Whether you’re just beginning your gardening journey, or are a horticulture fan, Dobbies’ Plant Buyer, Nigel Lawton, reveals the steps to take in spring to get your outdoor space looking its best and how to prepare it for the seasons to come.
Nigel’s spring gardening checklist includes:
1. Clean and prepare
2. Water collection
3. Planting and propagation
4. Lawncare
5. Grow your own
6. Container planting
7. Helpful gardening essentials
Clean and prepare
Nigel says that spring cleaning your garden is an important first step when it comes to preparing for the year ahead, and if you have been maintaining your garden throughout the winter months, this should be an easy job. Start by clearing away any remaining winter debris and clean paths of moss. This can done with a pressure washer – a useful tool to have in your shed – and while you’re washing paths, you can also clean your patio to get it looking fresh for the new season.
Early spring is a good time to get your greenhouse in shape and Nigel recommends disinfecting this to prepare it for any young plants and seeds you plan on sowing. Since there’s still risk of frost in spring, a greenhouse or cold frame is a good way to get a head start on planting at this time of year.
Spring is the ideal time to get your beds and borders in shape for the warmer months by removing weeds and pruning plants. Nigel suggests cutting back any winter flowering plants which have started to fade and prune summer flowering shrubs like Buddleia, Lavatera and hardy Fuschias to allow room for new growth.
Warmer sunny days can encourage early growth, but occasional spring frosts mean plant protection is still an important factor. Whether it’s with frost fleece or a good layer of mulch, Nigel notes that you should keep an eye on temperatures and make sure your plants are protected. If you choose to mulch your flower beds, Nigel recommends doing so with a good quality organic compost – not only will this protect plants from cold spells and giving them a nutrient boost but it’ll help tidy up your garden’s appearance too.
Water collection
Nigel notes that rainwater harvesting should be one of your top priorities in the garden during spring as among other things, it’ll help reduce water consumption in the event we experience a particularly hot, dry summer. This spring, Dobbies has a selection of water butts so you can maximise rainfall in your garden and Nigel explains that any shed, greenhouse or garage can be used to collect water and conserve it for summer as long as it has gutters and a down pipe to a drain at ground level. This water will be especially useful for your young plants in summer as it has a low pH and unlike water from the mains, contains no chemicals.
Daffodial Pansy Planter Lifestyle | Dobbies
Planting and propagation
One of the most satisfying spring gardening jobs is planting, however, Nigel says that before you even think about this, your focus should be on soil preparation. Soil preparation is imperative to healthy plant growth, so Nigel suggests adding organic matter and fertiliser to improve the soil before planting. Removing any weeds and debris will also set your beds in good stead for spring.
When it comes to what you can plant for instant colour in spring, Nigel recommends visiting your local Dobbies to explore the wide range of bedding plants available. Pansies, Primroses and Violas are springtime favourites that can be planted alongside potted bulbs for a vibrant spring display.
Now is a great time to plan and plant a cottage garden with a wide range of young herbaceous plants available. Other spring flowering shrub lines available now include Camellias, Forsythias, and Magnolias. Alpine plants are also a good source of early spring colour as they can withstand cooler temperatures.
Nigel says that spring is the best time to start plants off to ensure a blooming summer display. You can propagate plants by sowing seeds in trays in greenhouses or on windowsills, and Dobbies has a vast array of seed packs to choose from.
Nigel notes that summer flowering bulbs, like Dahlias and Begonias, can be started off in pots indoors and planted out in late spring after all risk of frost has passed.
Lawncare
Depending on the weather, early spring is a great time to sow a new lawn. Cultivate the soil and remove any debris before making sure the soil is level and firm.
In terms of when to first mow your lawn, Nigel recommends keeping an eye on the weather as there’s no set date for this and it will depend on where you live. When you see the grass growing and there’s no risk of frost, you can give it the first light cut of the season, making sure the blades are kept on their highest setting so as not to scalp the lawn. You should also ensure you do this on a dry day.
Grow your own
Nigel says that early spring is a wonderful time to plant fruit and vegetables for a summer harvest and that a lot of produce, such as tomatoes and chillies, can be sown inside in a greenhouse, cold frame or even windowsill from seed and then planted outdoors once temperatures warm up.
Now is also the time when you should prepare the ground for potatoes, garlic and onions. Potatoes can be chitted to encourage shoots by arranging them in seed trays in a light, frost free room. This will help produce a slightly earlier crop.
Strawberry seedscan be planted now, either in the ground or in containers, to enjoy from early summer onwards.
An early rhubarb crop can be produced by using a forcer, up turned dustbin or bucket. That provides the ideal dark conditions for sweet and tender stems.
Container planting
If you’re limited on space, container planting is a great way to inject colour and interest into your garden, patio or balcony. Nigel suggests refreshing pots, hanging baskets and window boxes with Primroses, Pansies and Violas. Senetti planted now will last throughout spring into early simmer, as they’re known for their robust nature. Early spring is also the time to plant any potted bulbs you didn’t get a chance to plant out in autumn.
Nigel’s helpful gardening essentials:
Power washer, Greenworks 1500w Pressure Washer with patio head and brush
Dobbies All Purpose Plant feed, 1l £5.99
Early grass seed – Gro-sure Fast Acting Lawn Seed 50sqm £21.99
Aerator – Dobbies Lawn Aerator, £29.99
Grow House – Tall Wooden Grow House Brown, £169.99
Summer flowering bulbs, from £4.99
Bedding plants (available in-store)
Seeds, from £2.29
For more spring gardening advice, and to find your nearest Dobbies store, visit www.dobbies.com.
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