An English Garden may be at its best in June and July but there is no reason why you shouldn’t have flowers throughout the year.
March is the time when the promise of Spring is lurking and there are several lovely flowers that can grace your garden.
Have a look through this list of plants and see whether you can find the space for one or two – you will really appreciate their delicate blossoms.
Bergenia
Is an evergreen clump forming perennial that has large flat leaves and rose coloured flowers from late February throughout March.
There is also a white version.
It prefers a sunny well drained site.
Fritillaria meleagris
A lovely hardy bulb, that has grey/green leaves with pinkish purple or white flowers. It likes a sunny spot with moist soil. It grows to 12 inches/30cm.
Anemone Blanda
This little plant has delicate white flowers -2-4inches 5-10cm. It prefers a well drained soil in a sunny spot.
Chionodoxa forbesii – Pink Giant
This has pale pink flowers and likes a sunny spot with well drained soil. Grows to 4-10inches 10-25cms.
Erythronuim White Beauty
Is a hardy tuber that has mottled leaves and white flowers. It prefers a well drained spot in partial shade and will grow up to 8-12inches 20-30com.
Saxifraga granulata or Fairmaids of Spring
A really lovely plant that is hardy with lovely white flowers. It grows up to 9-15 inches 23-38cms and does well in moist soil in partial shade.
Primroses
Primroses are native English plants.
They are perennials that grow into large clumps and have beautiful pale yellow flowers throughout March.
They prefer slightly damp, heavy soil and partial shade – although I have mine growing on a well drained bank in full sun and they do very well – so try some!
Pansies
Heartsease or Johnny Jump-up is the English native plant grown in cottage gardens from which all pansies have been developed.
You can now get pansies that flower all through the winter.
Planted in the autumn they will flower for you for many months if you deadhead them regularly.
They will grow in full sun to light shade but if you live in a warm area then they benefit from protection from the midday sun.
They prefer well-drained, fairly rich soil.
You could also consider late flowering crocus, early flowering daffodils and winter aconites.
If you have room for a small shrub then a good one to grow is Viburnham juddii which is a rounded shaped shrub with dark green leaves. It has fragrant pale pink/white flowers through March into April. It grows best in a sunny spot and likes well drained soil.
It will reach 4ft/120cms.
Enjoy your garden!
