In early spring, there is a good deal that you can begin to do in the flower garden, unlike the kitchen garden, where the real work does not start until mid-spring. This season is one of the best for planting and transplanting herbaceous perennials and you can also deal with some bulbs, rock plants and plants grown from seed sown last year.

Although early spring can be treacherous in its weather, blowing hot and cold alternately, you can take advantage of a few mild days which help to dry the soil, and put in plants which, being hardy, will not be harmed if the weather then turns cold. The state of the soil is more important than the temperature; those with sandy soils can move plants more or less at will, but those who have to deal with sticky clays will do better to pick their time for planting, so that plant roots do not have to contend with rather too generous quantities of water. If you are doubtful about moving plants, remember that those with thick fleshy roots are the ones least likely to establish in wet soils.

Another of your main jobs will be getting the lawn into good condition after the winter rains and cold; the grass will start to grow again during the next few weeks and as soon as it does, you should begin the reviving treatment for both turf and soil.

Seed sowing outdoors can begin and the soil will need preparing for this; hardy annuals will be the main type of plant sown, though herbaceous perennials can also be grown from seed. Though they may take longer to become flowering plants than those perennials bought from garden centres and nurseries, they are considerably cheaper and you will be certain that they are strong and free of pests and diseases.

Half-hardy annuals and bedding-plant seeds can be sown in the greenhouse: in frames you can sow dahlias and sweetpeas in containers. Cuttings of various kinds can also be taken in the greenhouse.