What to do in the garden in spring: tasks from March to May

What should you do in the garden in March? Prune bush roses, finish pruning summer-flowering clematis if you didn't do it in February, divide overcrowded perennials, mulch borders and plant summer bulbs, then move on to sowing and lavender in April, and frost-tender plants in May.

This guide brings together spring gardening tasks, month by month, in tables: planting, sowing, pruning, maintenance and protection. Each task links to a detailed guide, with advice from the RHS, Météo-France and OFB.

It follows on from our guide to what to do in the garden in winter: winter is for preparation; spring is for action.

🌟 Why spring is the season when the garden gets to work

Spring is when the garden gets to work because growth resumes: it's the right time to prune summer-flowering plants, divide perennials, mulch soil that's still moist from winter and plant anything that can't tolerate cold, while keeping an eye out for the last frosts.

According to the RHS guide to organic mulching, the best time to mulch is late winter or early spring, before weeds emerge. The RHS pruning guide recommends pruning bush roses as growth resumes, in March in colder regions.

📊 Spring gardening calendar: March, April and May

The spring gardening calendar covers five types of tasks: planting, sowing, pruning, maintenance and protection, spread across March, April and May. The table shows the right month for each ornamental gardening task and links to a detailed guide.

Guidance is based on the RHS list of jobs for March (Royal Horticultural Society) and its lists for April and May, unless otherwise stated.

📋 Quick reference

Spring gardening figures and guidelines, based on the RHS, Météo-France and OFB.

🪏 How to organise your spring gardening in 6 steps

To organise your spring gardening, prune and divide in March, mulch and sow in April, and leave tender plants until late May, when the risk of frost has receded. Always work when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged: the RHS advises postponing mulching if the ground is frozen or waterlogged.

For details on each pruning cut, our guide to spring pruning covers shrubs one by one.

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🧭 What to do in spring, depending on your garden

Spring tasks vary depending on whether you have a perennial border, a hedge, a patio or a sunny garden: tailor the list to what you grow. For planting ideas, see our guide to what to plant in spring, by purpose.

📐 What to do in the garden in March

In March, gardeners prune, divide and tidy up: it's the month for bush roses, any remaining summer-flowering clematis (the RHS recommends pruning these in February), panicle hydrangeas and overcrowded perennials, before growth really gets underway.

According to the RHS list of jobs for March (Royal Horticultural Society), it's also time to plant summer bulbs, protect young shoots from slugs, hoe and mulch early.

The RHS recommends pruning roses as growth resumes, around mid-February in mild climates and in March in colder regions (RHS guidance for the UK). Group 3 clematis are cut back to the lowest pair of buds, as they flower on the top 60 cm of the current year's growth.

For hydrangeas, the RHS hydrangea pruning guide recommends cutting panicle hydrangeas and 'Annabelle' back each spring to a pair of healthy buds. Also cut back coloured-stem dogwoods, and mow only in dry weather. Finish trimming hedges by mid-March. Wait until they have finished flowering before pruning spring-flowering shrubs.

📐 What to do in the garden in April

In April, the garden comes to life: sow hardy annuals, herbs and wildflowers in place, train climbing roses, feed shrubs and roses, protect fruit tree blossom, then plant lavender and cut back any remaining deciduous ornamental grasses.

Sowing, training plants, applying fertiliser and protecting fruit-tree blossom from late frosts are the RHS’s priorities for April; lavender and ornamental grasses have their own dedicated guides. The RHS lavender guide states that lavender is best planted in April or May, once the soil has warmed up, and never in winter.

According to the RHS, dahlias can be planted outdoors from mid to late April as dormant tubers. April is also the time to patch bare spots in the lawn: sow seed in the gaps, then mow with the blade set high. Finally, weed before the weeds set seed.

📐 What to do in the garden in May

In May, gardeners plant tender plants, care for bulbs that have finished flowering and keep an eye on two things: late frosts and birds nesting in hedges.

According to the RHS’s May gardening checklist, summer bedding plants can be planted out at the end of the month, except in cold regions, and overcrowded clumps of daffodils can be divided.

Leave bulb foliage in place for at least six weeks after flowering, without tying it up, as recommended by the RHS. Prune Group 1 clematis, such as mountain clematis, just after flowering.

Water outside the hottest hours to save water, as the RHS advises—preferably in the morning and ideally with rainwater—and check for nests before trimming any hedge.

Our guide to what to do with bulbs after flowering explains what to do next with tulips and daffodils.

📐 The Ice Saints: tradition or real rule?

The Ice Saints are a tradition, not a weather rule: Saint Mamertus, Saint Pancras and Saint Servatius, celebrated on 11, 12 and 13 May, mark the supposed end of frosts in gardeners’ minds, but records show that frost can return afterwards.

According to Météo-France’s study of the Ice Saints, based on data from 130 lowland weather stations between 1951 and 2023, at least one station recorded frost between 14 May and 30 June in 49 out of 73 years, or 67% of the time. Météo-France sums it up as a belief that is wrong two years out of three.

It also notes that these late frosts remain common, but affect fewer places at once than they did before 1995. Treat the date as a rough guide, keep a close eye on local forecasts and keep some frost-protection fleece handy.

🗓️ Spring in the garden year

Spring reaps what winter has prepared and gets the garden ready for summer: pruning, dividing and mulching from March to May influence flowering and resilience to dry conditions in the months that follow. Looking further ahead, the RHS reminds us that wisteria should be pruned twice a year, in July or August and then in January or February, cutting back to 2 or 3 buds in winter.

Lavender, meanwhile, should be pruned every year in late summer, just after flowering, without cutting into old wood. And for autumn, our guide to what to plant in autumn explains why it is the best season for planting bare-root shrubs and hedges.

📅 Seasonal maintenance calendar

🐛 Spring gardening mistakes to avoid

Spring gardening mistakes are mostly caused by impatience: pruning plants that are about to flower, planting frost-sensitive plants too early or mowing a lawn that is just starting to grow too short. Here’s how to avoid them.

🌿 Our guides and plants for every spring task

This calendar tells you what to do and when; each task is covered in more detail in its own guide, and you’ll find plants to add to your garden this spring in our catalogue.

🔑 What about the vegetable garden in spring?

The vegetable garden has its own calendar: this guide focuses on ornamental gardening, but the RHS’s monthly checklists offer three simple pointers.

The same precautions apply to tomatoes and other tender vegetables as to flowers: harden off the plants and wait until the frosts have passed.

✅ Our tips for a successful spring in the garden

To make the most of spring in the garden, remember these three stages: in March, prune summer-flowering plants and divide perennials; in April, mulch, sow seeds and plant lavender; in May, plant tender plants while watching for frost, and leave bulb foliage to die back naturally. Avoid trimming hedges from 15 March to 31 July.

To find out what to plant, follow our guide to what to plant in the garden in spring, and to fill out your borders, browse our garden plants and all our outdoor plants.