Promising hours of inspiration, The Fairview Gardener near Gloucester is a centre for gardeners, plant lovers and anyone who fancies picking up some ideas for their garden.
With a quirky upcycled café serving heavenly cake, coffee and treats, The Fairview Gardener offers a relaxed place to muse over plants and is headed up by a team that definitely knows a thing or two about gardening.
Speaking to SoGlos about what to do in your garden this spring, managing director, Glenn Satterthwaite is a landscape architect and gives tips and hints on spring gardening.
For more information, visit thefairviewgardener.co.uk directly.
What are the most important gardening jobs to do in spring?
Get your garden all tidy and get it ready for the summer. People are getting their plots ready for spring planting. It’s just one of those times of year where you’re getting everything ready really.
Which types of plants need planting this time of year?
We’ve got all of the spring flowers, we’ve got a lot of the primulas and pansies. There’s lots of spring bulbs too. Broad beans, potatoes and onion sets can all be planted now.
It’s also a great time for shrubs and trees because they are still dormant at the moment. If you plant them now, they can get their roots down before they start sprouting in late spring.
What kinds of flowers, fruits and vegetables are in season this time of year?
It’s a real in between time for picking things at the moment. You will have lots to do, like getting your fruit trees in ready for the season. It’s a very busy time in the garden, but not a great time for actually cropping.
What advice would you give someone who has no idea where to start with their garden?
It depends what they want from the garden. This time of year, you need to be prepared as you can for the summer season. It’s a good time to cut down shrubs. As the weather has been good, it’s a good time to tidy up your lawn.
Lawns will grow in temperatures from 6 degrees upwards. Aerate your lawn by cutting into it with a fork or a aerate and fill in the gaps with gravel. It’s also a great time of year to clear up your patio and get rid of any moss from the winter months.
How can you create a beautiful garden on a small budget?
Creatively! It’s buying the right plants at the right time of year. We sell our herbaceous plants for £1.99 but if you go somewhere else, you’ll pay £6.99 for it to be in a pot. I’d say cut out the middle man and keep going to your nurseries and look out for what you can get.
What advice would you give to someone with limited space in their garden?
Loads of seasonal colour. We do gardens of all sizes, from a balcony up to 20-acre gardens. For balconies, it’s about being creative with the colour you put in there. Less is more for smaller spaces, don’t go too mad with too many pots.
You’re better off pairing it back and having one or two good-sized pots, rather than 20 little pots. You can add lots of colour that will be different throughout the year.
For more information, visit thefairviewgardener.co.uk directly.
