Whether you enjoy spending time relaxing alone in your hot tub or socialising with friends and family in the garden, investing time and effort into your outdoor space allows you to make the most of it, all year round. 

To help both beginners and experienced gardeners alike, our seasonal guide will provide practical, month-by-month advice throughout 2016 to help your UK garden thrive. We’ve teamed up with Noah Mabey, Senior Gardener at Thornbridge Hall and Estate, who has shared his professional tips, covering everything from pruning and planting to lawn care and wildlife support.

Organised by season and month, it’s designed to be easy to navigate, with clear tips on what to do – and what to avoid – so your garden stays healthy, beautiful, and full of interest throughout the year.

January Gardening Tips

January is the perfect time for gentle garden preparation, structural care, and planning for the year ahead. Even though growth is slow, there are jobs that can give your garden a head start, ready for when spring arrives.

What To Plant In January

Whilst most seeds should be planted once the weather starts to warm up, January can still be a great time to get some vegetables started indoors. Onions, leeks, some tomato varieties, and celeriac can be started off in your greenhouse. 

Outside, hardier vegetables can be planted, like broad beans and sweet peas in cold frames, providing the ground isn’t frozen. Slow-growing flower varieties, like Geraniums, Begonias, Petunias, and Snapdragons can also be planted out this time of year.

Jobs To Do In January

• Prune winter-flowering shrubs after they’ve finished blooming (like ornamental cherries and viburnums) 
• Tidy up borders by removing last season’s spent growth
•  Check your garden tools – sharpening blades and oiling hinges now means you’ll be ready for busier months ahead.

Top Tip: Protect emerging shoots and young plants from frost by using horticultural fleece on cold nights. If you haven’t done so already, take this quieter time to map out your planting plans and make a note of areas that need soil improvement once conditions allow.

February Gardening Tips

February is far busier in the garden than people realise. Whilst it still might be wet and cold, dedicated time in your garden can really help set you up for success come Springtime. 

What To Plant in February

This month is ideal for sowing sweet peas indoors or in a greenhouse; just take care not to overwater them. Most other seeds are best left until March, when light levels improve. 

February is also bare root season, making it perfect for planting roses, fruit trees, ornamental trees, and hedging. Keep roots moist before planting and avoid placing them in frozen soil. 

If you have snowdrops, wait for them to finish flowering, then divide them “in the green” to increase your stock, and make sure to water any spring bulbs, like tulips, during dry spells.

Jobs To Do in February

• Prune roses to maintain shape and encourage healthy spring growth.
• Continue pruning fruit trees and wisteria to improve structure and productivity.
• Remove any dead, diseased or damaged growth before active growth begins.
• Avoid pruning hydrangeas and lavenders until spring.

Top Tip: Avoid walking on frosty grass, as frozen lawns are fragile and can be damaged easily. Heavy lawn treatments should also be delayed until temperatures rise consistently.

March Gardening Tips

Gardening jobs tend to ramp up as the weather gets warmer, so March is the perfect time to prepare borders, start sowing seeds indoors and lay the groundwork for a colourful spring and summer.

What To Plant in March

March is ideal for sowing hardy annuals indoors on a bright windowsill. Varieties such as poppies, calendula, nigella and cosmos can be started now, along with wildflower mixes. It’s also the final opportunity to plant bare root trees, hedging and roses before the season ends.

Ordering dahlia tubers this month ensures you’re ready for vibrant summer displays later in the year. The best varieties go quick, so if you’re stocking up on the dark-red ‘Black Jack’, ‘Bantling’, ‘Chimacum Troy’, ‘Bishop of Llandaff’, ‘Totally Tangerine’, or the gorgeous ‘Café au Lait’ seeds, you better order them now!

Jobs To Do in March

• Continue cutting back old perennial stems to allow fresh growth to emerge.
• Mulch borders to protect and enrich the soil as temperatures fluctuate.
• Feed roses and fruit trees with well-rotted manure or a balanced general fertiliser.
• Check plant pots regularly to ensure they are not waterlogged or drying out in changeable weather.
• Jet wash patios and paths that may have become slippery over winter.
• Begin planning hydrangea pruning once you can clearly see new buds forming.

Top Tip: Wait until you can clearly see new buds forming before pruning hydrangeas – this helps avoid accidentally removing this year’s flowers. 

April Gardening Tips

April is a month that finally brings some visual transformation in the garden and you start to see your hard work in months prior come to life! Flowers begin to bloom in earnest, lawns need attention, and it’s a key month for shaping plants ahead of the growing season.

What To Plant in April

April is a busy planting month as soil begins to warm and daylight increases. You can sow hardy vegetables such as carrots, peas, spinach, lettuce and radishes directly outdoors, along with planting onion sets and early potatoes. Tender crops like courgettes and tomatoes can be started indoors or in a greenhouse ready for planting out later in spring.

It’s also a great time to add colour to borders. Summer-flowering bulbs such as dahlias, lilies and gladioli can be planted now, while hardy annuals and bedding plants begin to establish well as temperatures rise.

Jobs To Do in April

• Deadhead daffodils once they’ve flowered to redirect energy back into the bulb.
• Divide and reposition overcrowded plants within borders where needed.
• Check lawns for dead or compacted areas and reseed where necessary.
• Aerate lawns using a garden fork to improve drainage and reduce compaction.
• Make note of gaps in borders to plan ahead for autumn bulb planting.
• Take time to enjoy your garden as spring colour begins to emerge.

Top Tip: Leave daffodil foliage to die back naturally after flowering – this allows energy to return to the bulb for next year’s display.

May Gardening Tips

May is a key month in the garden, with strong growth, warmer temperatures and plenty of jobs to stay on top of. It’s also a crucial time to be mindful of wildlife, especially during nesting season.

What To Plant in May

May is the perfect time to start planting out tender bedding plants once the risk of frost has passed. Geraniums, petunias, begonias, and salvias can all be safely added to borders, pots and containers, bringing instant colour to outdoor spaces.

You can also continue planting summer vegetables such as courgettes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans, either in greenhouses or in sheltered outdoor spots as temperatures rise. Hardy herbs including basil, parsley, and coriander also establish well at this time of year.

It’s also a good month to think ahead with succession planting, helping to ensure continuous colour and cropping through the summer months.

Jobs To Do in May

• Prune spring-flowering shrubs such as forsythia, ribes, spiraea and choisya once flowering has finished
• Remove spent blooms first, then cut back around one-third of older woody stems to encourage fresh growth
• Cut back tender perennials like penstemons, salvias and fuchsias once frost risk has passed to promote strong new shoots
• Train and tie in climbers such as honeysuckle, roses and wisteria to support structure and encourage better flowering
• Tie climbing and rambling rose stems horizontally to increase flowering shoots
• Shorten long wisteria growth after flowering to encourage flowering spurs, or tie in new shoots if still training the plant
• Check for frost or wind damage and remove any broken or dead stems
• Inspect plants carefully before any pruning or cutting back to avoid disturbing nesting wildlife

Top Tip: Take a few extra moments to inspect plants carefully before pruning in May. While it can be tempting to tidy everything quickly as growth accelerates, a more measured approach will help protect wildlife and ensure stronger, healthier plants throughout the summer.

June Gardening Tips

June is when the garden really starts to come into its own. Borders begin to fill out, summer flowers burst into bloom, and longer days mean plants are growing rapidly. Whilst it can be tempting to simply sit back and enjoy the results of your hard work, June is a crucial month for planting, watering and keeping on top of maintenance jobs that will help your garden look its best throughout the summer.

What To Plant in June

June is the ideal time to plant out summer bedding displays and tender annuals once they have established strong roots. Dahlias can now be moved into borders and containers, while hanging baskets can be filled with colourful favourites such as petunias, fuchsias and trailing lobelia to provide months of vibrant displays.

If you’re looking to add quick bursts of colour to your garden, now is also a great time to sow easy-growing annuals including sunflowers, nasturtiums, cosmos and marigolds. These varieties establish quickly and can provide continuous flowers well into autumn.

Gardeners can continue sowing herbs and salad crops throughout June too. Basil, parsley, coriander and lettuce all grow well at this time of year, providing a steady supply of fresh ingredients throughout the summer months.

Jobs To Do in June

• Deadhead roses and other flowering plants regularly to encourage repeat blooms throughout the season.
• Cut spent rose flowers back to a healthy set of five leaves to promote stronger regrowth and more flowers.
• Water deeply at the base of plants rather than little and often, ensuring moisture reaches the roots where it’s needed most.
• Install or adjust plant supports before heavy growth begins to flop over.
• Tie in new rose stems and climbing plants to maintain structure and maximise flowering.
• Shorten long, whippy growth on wisteria to keep plants tidy and encourage healthy development.
• Plant out tomatoes, pumpkins and other tender crops once conditions are consistently warm.
• Lift and store tulip bulbs once foliage has completely yellowed, freeing up space for summer displays.
• Lightly trim topiary plants such as box, yew and holly to maintain their shape through the growing season.

Top Tip: Many gardeners water little and often during warm weather, but this can encourage shallow root growth and weaker plants. Instead, water thoroughly at the base of plants and allow moisture to penetrate deeply into the soil. This encourages stronger roots and helps plants cope better during prolonged dry spells.

Enhance Your Garden Retreat with Platinum Spas

At Platinum Spas, we believe the finishing touch to a well-planned garden retreat is a feature that helps you to truly switch off. From hot tubs to swim spas, our range is designed to complement your outdoor space and allow you to enjoy your garden during every season.

Get in touch with our team of experts to discuss which products are best suited to you and your garden.