Timely tips mid march:

• 
  
• If the weather in your area is mild now is the time to look to prune your roses. Do the climbers on walls and hybrid perpetual bushes frist then your hybrid teas. Pruning is a great way to keep your shrubs and trees in shape, however a lot of people do not realize that pruning also helps combat diseases and will encourage plants to produce more fruit or flowers. Plants that benefit from pruning include shrubs and trees with dead or diseased stems , and those that are misshapen or have old woody growth that has stopped producing healthy leaves or fruit/blooms.
• Do not touch your evergreens yet, that is a pruning job for april may. There is nothing to be afraid of whilst pruning. Remember, you are in charge and it is your plant. You will need to start the job by removing all dead and diseased wood and cut back old unproductive stems to the ground. Then you trim back all the remaining stems to create and even, balanced shape that is to your liking. The way to do it is to cut a stem just above a bud, which is the point where a new leaf or stem will form. The bud may be a slight bum on the stem. Where you come across buds that are opposite each other make a straight flat cut above the pair. Do not forget to remove dead flowers or bad fruit. Doing so will produce more. Remember what you want to do is to get as much air into the plant as possible.
• If you have a cold frame, young plants can be put out into them to give you that early crop. It is a good idea to have your best compost in the cold frame to feed your crop. To my mind that is nothing like a cold frame, you will be a month ahead of everybody else.