A gardening expert's guide on how to prepare your garden for spring

As part of In Our Nature, residents in Newton Heath have been working with local gardening experts to create their own green patch at home, while improving their gardening skills and making new connections in their area.  

In the run-up to springtime, the experts and residents have been hard at work making sure their garden spaces were primed and ready for warmer, sunnier days. They went through a bunch of different phases from planning to planting, and so we asked Pauline – one of the gardening experts involved in the project - to share some of her top tips so that you can make your home that little bit greener and wilder too. 

What have you done to help people get their gardens looking great in the spring? 

The first thing was to get to know the participants and really listen to what they wanted.  So, rather than imposing a set process or their projects, I had long chats with them, exploring possibilities of how their garden might look.  There were suggested themes within the project, but I found participants usually wanted a blend, with a very strong lean towards nature and wildness. They desired colour and texture, but above all for the local flora and fauna to be drawn into their gardens and to have habitats where they might thrive. 

One family turned an ornamental pond into a living and breathing space for amphibians and other pond life. They removed a fountain feature as tadpoles would have perished in its pump, and instead filled the pond with a rich mixture of oxygenating plants, some bought, some gifted, and some gathered on nature walks. Around the edges we planted marginals and added logs, rocks, and pebbles for a natural and nature friendly effect. A downside of removing the water feature was that the family missed the relaxing trickling sound it made.  But a solution was found! -- an old smallish tin bath became its new home, and this added to the overall attractiveness of the garden. This family has young children and so the garden was divided into the 'play side', with adventure apparatus for them, and the 'wild side' that they would equally love and explore, but in a different way. The rest of the space was filled with a diverse array of plants, flowers and shrubs including tubulars for bees and purples for butterflies. We even transformed a tiny grass strip set aside from the garden and located it near the front of the house by pulling back the turf, adding a layer of rich compost and planting wildflower seeds. 

Another family had an unusual garden in that it looked like one huge raised bed standing about a meter from yard height. The garden backed onto a canal and the family essentially wanted their garden to become an extension of that natural habitat. The existing soil was of poor quality and so our initial task was to enrich the garden's foundation by adding a considerable amount of locally sourced good quality compost. To this we added trees, bushes, plants, flowers, grasses -- a mix of bought goods and donations -- and interspersed features such as bark, pebbles, and logs. We all worked together, and the transformation spectacularly took place in just one afternoon!  

What are some simple tips you’d give to novice gardeners to get their gardens ready for Spring? 

Don't be afraid. Explore your dreams. In practical terms, do not clear space too early as many creatures, not just hibernators, will be nestled among what might look like a pile of rubbish.  

Research and plan so that you cultivate plants that complement each other, and work well for nature. Remember that things grow! So, leave enough of a border around your plants for them to expand rather than having to compete for space.  

Think of the four seasons and plant for all of them; you will get so much more out of your garden if you have colour all year round, and so will wildlife.  

Absolutely avoid chemicals if you can. There are alternatives to most of the chemical fertilisers and feeds on offer, and hands are better than herbicides when it comes to weeding. 

Feed the soil. The richness of the soil determines the health of what grows. But feed it naturally by making your own leaf mould, nettle and horsetail feed, creating your own compost corner and more: recipes for these are easily found online. Also, explore 'no dig' gardening as this is proving to be the best way to hold the soil together. Each time we dig, we pull apart intricate soil structures and disrupt micro-organisms. Sometimes, especially with very poor soils, a good dig is unavoidable. But once we have established a good soil, we can minimally disrupt it by mulching to suppress weeds and hand weeding when needed. 

What would your advice be for someone wanting to get into gardening but doesn’t know quite where to begin? 

Again, don't be afraid. You are entering a wonderful world where you will learn by doing.  Explore, explore, explore.  Read up on organic gardening, 'no dig' gardening and permaculture as these are good for nature and for us. Ask yourself what you would love to see, source some plants, and make a start.  Good luck, and happy gardening!