Planting & sowing
Gardeners World|March 2022
Master 10 key skills for your best-ever gardening year
Planting & sowing

Master 10 key skills for your best-ever gardening year

✓ Fuss-free advice with no jargon

✓ Easy-to-follow instructions

✓ Top tips for success every time

How to plant in a border

There will be a lot of plants to add to borders as spring progresses and the soil warms up. Potted summer bulbs, perennials, shrubs, roses and trees can all be planted in gaps to give the area an instant lift. Get the planting right with plants securely slotted into their new home and they will bring joy to the garden; some for months, some for many years.

You will need

Spade

Digging fork

Hand fork

Garden kneeler

Peat-free compost (bagged or homemade)

Watering can

TOP TIP

Use a piece of wood to scrape soil off your spade or trowel blade after planting, so it doesn't feel heavy to use

STEP BY STEP How to plant potted lilies in a border

1 Dig a hole slightly bigger than the size of the pot, then ease the plant out of its pot, holding it upside down.

2 Lower the lilies into the hole and plant at the same depth as they were in the pot. Add compost to the soil as you fill the hole.

3 Firm the soil around the base of the plant to ensure that it is well anchored and that the roots are in full contact with the soil.

4 Water the plant well, until puddles start to form on the soil surface. Water again next time the soil looks pale and dusty.

Do's and don'ts

DO remove weeds growing in the plant's pot before planting.

Do check roots of new potted plants for white grubs (vine weevil).

DO break up the soil at the bottom of the planting hole with a fork.

DO take care not to tread on plants close to where you are planting.

This story is from the March 2022 edition of Gardeners World.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the March 2022 edition of Gardeners World.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM GARDENERS WORLDView All
Travel Ideas For Garden Lovers
BBC Gardeners World

Travel Ideas For Garden Lovers

Looking for green-fingered holiday inspiration? The GW team share recent destinations for garden getaways

time-read
8 mins  |
December 2023
Your wildlife month
BBC Gardeners World

Your wildlife month

December is a time for reflection in the garden. What worked for wildlife in 2023 and what didn't? How could you do more? Looking at the bones of the garden now, is there space for more plants? Are your fences bare? Are there enough berries and hips? You have until March to plant bare-root trees and shrubs. What would look good? What would better serve wildlife?

time-read
1 min  |
December 2023
The Full Monty
BBC Gardeners World

The Full Monty

I can, and occasionally do, manufacture jobs in a kind of gung-ho, boy-scout spirit

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2023
Expert's choice
BBC Gardeners World

Expert's choice

Smaller variegated ivies still pack a big punch all year round, says Graham Rice

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2023
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
BBC Gardeners World

YOUR PRUNING MONTH

Frances Tophill explains what to cut back now, including grapevines and hardy shrubs

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2023
Hardwood cuttings
BBC Gardeners World

Hardwood cuttings

It's the zero-fuss way to make free new shrubs - just follow our guide from Nick Bailey

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2023
Hassle-free harvests
BBC Gardeners World

Hassle-free harvests

While veg-plot activities slow down in winter, there is still plenty to do, from planting fruit trees, and harvesting sprouts and salads to taking stock of your growing year so you can plan next year's crops, says Jack Wallington

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2023
The happy house plant guide
BBC Gardeners World

The happy house plant guide

In the first of a seven-part series, Jane Perrone shares expert advice on how to give your house plants the best start to a long and healthy life in your home

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2023
The science of soil
BBC Gardeners World

The science of soil

Healthy soil is teeming with life - Becky Searle delves below the surface to explore how this fascinating system works and how it can benefit our plants

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2023
'It's like another lung - like having oxygen on tap. It makes you breathe in a different way'
BBC Gardeners World

'It's like another lung - like having oxygen on tap. It makes you breathe in a different way'

Helen Maxwell's garden in rural Carmarthenshire surrounds the house that her husband (who's an architect) designed.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2023