7 Things to Do, Plant and Celebrate this Spring
7 Things to Do, Plant and Celebrate this Spring
This year the Spring or vernal equinox, falls on Sunday 20th of March. It marks the day when the Sun crosses the equator line and the Northern Hemisphere begins to tilt more towards the Sun, resulting in longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures. To celebrate here are seven things to do and plant this Spring.
Scent Your Home with Lily of the Valley
Now is the perfect time to buy and plant Lily of the Valley ‘pips’ ready to enjoy their exceptionally fragrant blooms in May. You can order, ready to plant, Lily of the Valley bulb pots here and enjoy the anticipation of the joy to come. Lily of the Valley has a scent like no other and is a favourite for Royal weddings. You can find tips for growing and arranging Lily of the Valley here.
British Sweet Pea Season is Here
Here at The Real Flower Company, our English Sweet Pea season begins early as we grow under glass in a bright, sunny spot in West Sussex. Thanks to the light, bright days we have been having recently we are going to be picking Sweet Peas in time for Mother’s Day and will have our popular Sweet Peas online from the end of March. If you would like to grow your own Sweet Peas, but are worried you have missed the boat, then we have got you covered. Our Sweet Pea seedlings are now available to order and will arrive in pots ready to be planted out once the last frost has passed. Click here to shop now
Bird Watch
Going outside and being part of the change in light, temperature and nature is a wonderful way to celebrate the new season. Closely observing the birds in your garden or a favourite park is a great way to start. Take a moment to listen to the birdsong and watch the birds as they go about their day. The British Trust for Ornithology’s Garden Birdwatch is offering everyone free access to BTO Garden BirdWatch so that you can stay connected to nature, learn about your garden wildlife and contribute to important scientific research from the comfort of your own home or garden. You can find out more here.
Forage or Grow Wild Garlic
Wild Garlic season begins at the end of March / early April. Wild Garlic seems to be having a moment, for good reason - it can be made into a delicious pesto, herb butter or salsa verdi and has a wealth of health benefits. Here’s a round-up of recipes from BBC’s Good Food for inspiration. If you do not have a local, abundant source you can grow your own. Our Wild Garlic plants are available to order now for a limited time - plant into a large pot and you will be rewarded with your own supply to eat and enjoy later this Spring.
Celebrate with Eggs
Egg races, egg decorating and egg hunts are all traditional activities at this time of year and in the run up to Easter. Why not try the traditional Ukranian Pysanky method of decorating eggs using wax and dye. You can find a tutorial for this family friendly craft here.
Make a Spring Wreath
Welcome Spring by creating a handmade wreath to dress your door, wall or table. You can make a simple wreath with a large handful of long bendy branches such as birch, bulrush, grape vine, honeysuckle or willow. You weave the bendy branches around themselves to form a circle. You can then add more branches to create a thicker base. Add decorative items such as grasses, leaves, catkins or even flowers. If you are adding fresh elements they will go over quickly as their stems will not be in water but many flowers dry out beautifully if arranged in this way. You can either poke your decorations into the base or secure with wire.
Start off your Dahlias
You can plant your Dahlias straight into the ground once the risk of frost has passed. But for early flowers, that will keep on blooming, we recommend you plant your tubers into pots first and March is the perfect time. Here on the farm, we have tried and tested many Dahlias over the years and we have curated an edit of our favourites – Dahlias that that put on a show and are perfect for cutting. You can discover our collection of Dahlia tubers here
