Growing Family

UK home and garden blog sharing ideas, inspiration and tips for busy family life, written by Catherine Hughes

  • Home
  • About
    • About Me
    • Contact / PR
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Garden
    • What to Plant Now
    • Garden Jobs this Month
    • Grow Your Own
    • Gardening with Children
    • Garden Tips
    • Garden Design
    • Houseplants
    • In Season Now
    • Birth Month Flowers
  • Interiors
    • Interior Design Tips
    • Living Room
    • Kitchen & Dining
    • Bedroom
    • Bathroom
    • Family Home
    • Product Showcase
    • Food
  • Nature
    • Exploring Nature
    • Days Out
    • Travel
  • Craft
  • Reviews
  • Giveaways

Get your garden ready for spring and beyond with Hillier

April 13, 2022 by Catherine 53 Comments

This is a collaborative post in partnership with Hillier Garden Centres.

Are you spending more time in the garden now that spring has arrived?  As the weather warms up and daylight hours increase, we naturally want to make the most of our outdoor spaces – but in reality after the winter months there’s usually some work to do before we can sit back and relax.

If your garden is looking a bit neglected right now, there are lots of things you can do to get it ready for spring and beyond.

The most obvious option is to introduce some lovely new plants to perk things up, but there are also plenty of spring gardening jobs that you can tackle to set the garden up for the next few months.

To help you get organised, here are my top plant picks for spring colour and interest, plus a quick list of perfect spring garden jobs.  I’ve used the Hillier online shop to create this guide; it has a great range of plants and garden equipment to inspire you.

To help you get your garden ready for spring, I’ve also got a £50 gift card for the Hillier online shop to give away to a lucky winner.  You’ll find more details on how to enter at the end of this post.

hillier garden centre entrance

Hillier online shop

You will no doubt recognise the name Hillier from their chain of garden centres.  If you’re a fan of RHS Chelsea Flower Show you’ll probably also know that Hillier has a long history of gold medal winning gardens (one of which I had the pleasure of visiting in 2019).  What you might not be aware of is their new online shop, which launched last year.

The plants in the Hillier online shop are grown in their Hampshire-based nurseries.  These are the same nurseries that provide all those medal-winning show garden plants, so you know you’re going to find lots of wonderful varieties and a real focus on quality.

In addition to an impressive range of plants, the online shop also stocks a wide selection of seeds, garden tools and equipment.  It’s basically an online garden centre and a one-stop shop for gardening all year round.

Great plants for spring garden colour and interest

Need to get your garden ready for spring?  Here’s my selection of great plants from Hillier that will give your garden colour and interest throughout spring and beyond.

forsythia x intermedia discovery plant

Forsythia x intermedia ‘Discovery’ JOHN MITCHELL

If you’d like to kick spring off in style, Forsythia x intermedia ‘Discovery’ JOHN MITCHELL is a fantastic hardy shrub that really delivers on foliage and flowers.  The white margined leaves contrast beautifully with the deep red stems, and in early spring the plant is covered in gorgeous pale yellow blooms.

forsythia x intermedia discovery plant

This stunning shrub will eventually reach a height of 2.5m metres and a width of 2 metres, but you can easily keep it under control if you’d like a more compact plant.

pieris flaming silver plant

Pieris ‘Flaming Silver’

Keen to add a little heat to your spring garden?  Go for Pieris ‘Flaming Silver’. The new leaves on this compact evergreen shrub are bright red and really stand out against the older green leaves.  You also get clusters of white flowers from mid spring.

Pieris japonica are native to Japan, and enjoy woodland conditions and partial shade.  They thrive in acidic soil, so you may need to use ericaceous compost when planting.

phormium yellow wave plant

Phormium ‘Yellow Wave’

After the long winter months I’m always craving lots of zingy green in the garden, and Phormium ‘Yellow Wave’ certainly delivers on that.  It’s evergreen and clump-forming, with impressively long leaves that will add bags of texture and movement to borders.

If you’ve got large containers in the garden, phormium is also ideal for combining with spring flowers in pots to create height and structure.

erisymum bowle's mauve plant

Erysimum ‘Bowle’s Mauve’

Wallflowers are invaluable when it comes to early spring blooms.  Erysimum ‘Bowle’s Mauve’ has deep pink flower spikes and grey-green foliage, and will reward you with flowers well into summer.

As well as making the garden look lovely, wallflowers provide a rich source of nectar for butterflies and other pollinating insects.

dianthus raspberry sunday plant

Dianthus ‘Raspberry Sundae’

Dianthus (or pinks) are great plants for the late spring garden, and they will keep on flowering into autumn.  The candy-pink blooms on Dianthus ‘Raspberry Sundae’ stand out beautifully against the grey-green foliage, and have a splash of deep pink in the centre for added interest.

Dianthus are small plants, so they’re well-suited to the front of a border or a container display.

lavandula stoechas springbreak princess plant

Lavandula stoechas ‘Springbreak Princess’ 

French lavender flowers earlier than English lavender, so you can use it to fill the garden with colour and amazing scent from late spring.

I love the contrasting shades of purple on Lavandula stoechas ‘Springbreak Princess’. It’s a great plant for a sunny spot and is ideal for growing in containers or borders.  And of course, the bees adore it too.

Gardening in spring: perfect jobs to tackle

If all these spring plants have inspired you to get busy in the garden, here are some general maintenance jobs you can start working on.  They’re all perfect garden tips for spring and will definitely help to keep things looking good right into summer.

get your garden ready for spring by planting seeds

Plant seeds

Growing plants from seed is a low-cost way to bulk out your plants, and it’s also a brilliant gardening project for children.  Early spring is a good time to start, as the risk of frost lessens and the warmer days encourage germination.

You could focus on edible crops, or go for some easy flowers to grow from seed.  The Hillier online shop has an extensive range of popular and unusual flower seeds; I also really like their square fibre pots which are biodegradable and can be planted straight into the ground.

get your garden ready for spring by dealing with weeds

Stay on top of weeds

Everything grows so fast in spring – and that includes the weeds.  Staying on top of them by weeding little and often is a good approach; you won’t have to find a big chunk of time for the weeding, and you’ll give your plants more room to grow.  Tackling weeds when they’re still small is also a lot less hard work; a good hand fork should be all you need.

get your garden ready for spring by tidying up the lawn edges

Lawn care

Your lawn is probably growing again by now, and if that’s the case it’s time to start mowing.  Keep your mower blades high for the first few cuts to help new shoots develop.

If the grass has become compacted over winter, now is a good time to aerate it by using a garden fork to make holes at regular intervals.  You can also make a tired-looking lawn look instantly smarter by using a lawn edger to neaten up the edges.

snail on leaf

Pest control

It’s never too early in spring to start keeping an eye on garden pests!  Slugs and snails will be active now, and if your garden is home to lots of seedlings or young plants they will make a beeline for them.

Creating physical barriers is an eco-friendly way to keep slugs and snails under control.  Crushed eggshells work well in borders, and copper tape will deter them from munching container plants.

get your garden ready for spring by removing dead flower heads

Deadheading

Deadheading your flowering plants on a regular basis is a low-effort way to keep them flowering for as long as possible, and it’s well worth getting into the habit of doing it as soon as the spring flowers start to appear.

Removing dead flowers and seed heads from your plants encourages them to produce new blooms.  You can use your fingers to do this, but a pair of snips makes the job quicker and easier.

starling on bird feeder

Look after garden wildlife

Many species of garden wildlife are busy raising young at this time of year, and there are some simple things you can do to help them out.

Providing a source of food and water will make life easier for wild birds.  A bird bath with shallow steps will also be visited by pollinating insects, while a feeding station is ideal for smaller gardens or outdoor spaces that don’t have trees to hang a feeder in.

I’ve got lots of other ideas for making your garden more wildlife-friendly in my garden for wildlife post.

All the plants and products I’ve included in this post are available to buy in the Hillier online shop.  Which one is top of your list to help get your garden ready for spring and beyond?

Win a £50 Hillier online gift card to get your garden ready for spring

I’m giving away a £50 gift card to use in the Hillier online shop.  To enter, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GIVEAWAY CLOSES: 8TH MAY 2022 11:59PM

UK ENTRIES OVER 18 YEARS OLD ONLY

FULL T&Cs IN THE RAFFLECOPTER ABOVE

Pin for later

Get your garden ready for spring with these top plants for spring colour and interest, plus a quick list of perfect spring garden jobs. 

Hillier are providing the £50 gift card for prize purposes.

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin5
5 Shares

Filed Under: Garden Tips Tagged With: Flowering plants, Foliage plants, Garden, Garden tips, gardening, giveaway, Hillier, Plants, Shrubs, Spring

« Product Showcase: Loom Footwear waterproof sneakers
New ideas for women who love working out in the garden »

Comments

  1. Iain maciver says

    April 13, 2022 at 10:26 am

    a new bird feeding station and food

    Reply
  2. Michelle Smith says

    April 13, 2022 at 11:20 am

    I love the Dianthus raspberry sundae it’s so pretty

    Reply
  3. amy simpson says

    April 13, 2022 at 2:00 pm

    I’d buy some of the wonderful variety of veg seeds

    Reply
  4. ashleigh says

    April 13, 2022 at 6:16 pm

    I would put it towards a pizza oven – https://www.hillier.co.uk/online-shop/outdoor-living/bbqs/

    Reply
  5. Isabel says

    April 13, 2022 at 8:49 pm

    Good weather forecast for this Easter Weekend!

    Who needs travel and chaos when you have a garden!

    Can’t wait to just chill and enjoy!

    Reply
  6. Sheena Batey says

    April 13, 2022 at 10:33 pm

    Hebe Dark Secret as it would be a stunning plant all through the year

    Reply
  7. Maya Russell says

    April 14, 2022 at 6:11 am

    I’d get some Californian poppy seeds. I love the flower.

    Reply
  8. Margaret Gallagher says

    April 14, 2022 at 6:57 am

    Plain Jane with swing arm ! Always easter fire pit

    Reply
  9. Susan B says

    April 14, 2022 at 4:40 pm

    I could spend some serious money in Hillier’s but would choose a selection of buddlejas. I particularly like the Buddleja davidii ‘White Profusion’

    Reply
  10. Margaret Clarkson says

    April 14, 2022 at 5:13 pm

    Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’

    Reply
  11. Thea Callejon says

    April 14, 2022 at 10:05 pm

    I desperately need some lawn care.

    Reply
  12. ann goody says

    April 15, 2022 at 4:48 pm

    I would buy Lupins

    Reply
  13. Mark Fridlington says

    April 15, 2022 at 8:23 pm

    I currently require compost to plant my seeds from last year. I would also buy their hanging basket products for when the seeds grow big enough.

    Reply
  14. Jennifer Toal says

    April 17, 2022 at 5:24 pm

    This would be a great prize my garden could do with a bit of colour planting

    Reply
  15. Harriet Harker says

    April 17, 2022 at 8:47 pm

    Excellent tips thanks very much!

    Reply
  16. Coldi says

    April 18, 2022 at 10:09 am

    A bird feeding station for the allotment. I love watching them visiting and feed them regularly with feeders but would love something bigger!

    Reply
  17. Priscilla Stubbs says

    April 18, 2022 at 10:17 am

    I love the look of the April plant of the month, Lavendula stoechas (French Lavender) and I could certainly find a spot for this in my garden

    Reply
  18. Mary Heald says

    April 18, 2022 at 5:02 pm

    I would choose Acer palmatum ‘Shaina’

    Reply
  19. Carole Nott says

    April 20, 2022 at 10:10 pm

    I would choose some new bird feeders and summer plants.

    Reply
  20. Mark Kenny says

    April 22, 2022 at 1:13 pm

    Great prize

    Reply
  21. Lynne Durkin says

    April 23, 2022 at 7:27 pm

    We need some colourful shrubs for the garden but also we chopped down a huge conifer last year and need something to fill the gap and give us some privacy

    Reply
  22. Julie says

    April 25, 2022 at 6:33 pm

    I would get some lovely solar lighting for the summer nights in the garden.

    Reply
  23. Jayne Townson says

    April 25, 2022 at 8:39 pm

    I’d love to get the Warbler Bird Table so all the birds would have somewhere to visit in my garden this spring.

    Reply
  24. Catherine S says

    April 26, 2022 at 2:09 pm

    The Acer palmatum Skeeter’s Broom would be top of my list.

    Reply
  25. MANDY DOHERTY says

    April 30, 2022 at 12:22 am

    The Dianthus Raspberry Sundae is so lovely, it really would brighten up my garden

    Reply
  26. Susan K says

    May 3, 2022 at 6:38 pm

    I love wallflowers / erysimum so the Bowles Mauve would be top of my list

    Reply
  27. Nadia Stanbridge says

    May 5, 2022 at 12:11 pm

    We would love a Cherry tree

    Reply
  28. Julie Mouzoura says

    May 5, 2022 at 9:47 pm

    I’d buy some lawn care products!

    Reply
  29. jen morgan says

    May 6, 2022 at 10:40 am

    I would purchase lots of Vegetable and herb seeds to brighten my garden

    Reply
  30. Amanda Botterill says

    May 6, 2022 at 2:06 pm

    I would love to buy some roses and sweet peas for my garden

    Reply
  31. Priscilla Gibbons says

    May 6, 2022 at 6:25 pm

    I would love the Fabulous Fat Balls Tub of 50 – No Net from Hillier for my garden and Allotment to encourage blue tits etc to visit and hopefully whilst waiting their turn they will be clearing the aphids from my plants. Win win

    Reply
  32. Ellen Stafford says

    May 6, 2022 at 7:50 pm

    I would love to get some plants for the garden to make it prettier

    Reply
  33. lynn neal says

    May 6, 2022 at 8:23 pm

    Salvia love and wishes, it’s beautiful!

    Reply
  34. Angela Thompson says

    May 6, 2022 at 11:23 pm

    I love French Lavender because it smells beautiful and looks gorgeous too

    Reply
  35. Tracey S Anderson says

    May 6, 2022 at 11:23 pm

    I’d love a Weeping Willow tree

    Reply
  36. Karen T says

    May 7, 2022 at 12:59 am

    The Weigela All Summer Red would be top of my list! Beautiful flowers all summer long

    Reply
  37. Carolyn says

    May 7, 2022 at 1:33 am

    I love all these ideas for plants in my new and very bare garden, but right top of my wish is a fruit tree – probably a plum of some kind.

    Reply
  38. Anthea Holloway says

    May 7, 2022 at 2:17 pm

    I would love some nemesias and French bean plants

    Reply
  39. Mary Baldwin says

    May 7, 2022 at 5:09 pm

    I’d like the lawn edger – it would help make my garden tidier and help stop the lawn blending into the beds.

    Reply
  40. AJ says

    May 7, 2022 at 10:05 pm

    I’d love to buy Digitalis Falcon Fire – what a beautiful plant!

    Reply
  41. Mel Pennie says

    May 7, 2022 at 11:35 pm

    I’d buy some beautiful solar lighting for my garden

    Reply
  42. Adrian Bold says

    May 8, 2022 at 3:10 am

    I’d love the Warbler Bird Table which would be ideal for our garden.

    Reply
  43. Liz Atkin says

    May 8, 2022 at 8:08 am

    id love a firepit

    Reply
  44. Brendan Gavan says

    May 8, 2022 at 10:19 am

    id love some outdoor lighting

    Reply
  45. Graham A says

    May 8, 2022 at 12:37 pm

    id like a new bbq

    Reply
  46. Patricia Dewey says

    May 8, 2022 at 12:52 pm

    I would buy Geraniums to fill my tubs for summer

    Reply
  47. Sheila T says

    May 8, 2022 at 1:35 pm

    It would be lovely to treat my border to some new plants

    Reply
  48. Krzysia says

    May 8, 2022 at 1:50 pm

    I’d love a selection of bulbs; Dahlia Avignon, Dahlia Crème de Cassis, Gladioli Mombasa and a couple of Astilbes for the shade.

    Reply
  49. Jeanette Leighton says

    May 8, 2022 at 2:29 pm

    A bird feeding station would be fantastic i love watching the birds in my garden

    Reply
  50. Logan G says

    May 8, 2022 at 3:29 pm

    id like a bird table

    Reply
  51. Nicole A says

    May 8, 2022 at 6:54 pm

    a new garden chair would be nice

    Reply
  52. chelle says

    May 8, 2022 at 9:54 pm

    i have a beautiful 7ft acer

    Reply
  53. Darren Bourne says

    May 8, 2022 at 11:06 pm

    I’d like the Firefly LED string lights to maximise the enjoyment of my spring garden.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi, I’m Catherine. Welcome to Growing Family, a top UK home & garden blog sharing ideas, inspiration and tips for making the most of busy family life, indoors and out.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

ORDER MY BOOK

Search

VuelioTop10Badge2020

CandideTop10Badge2019

BRAMBLECREST GARDEN FURNITURE

Connect

Catherine Hughes is a home & garden blogger sharing ideas, inspiration & tips for making the most of busy family life, indoors and out.
Learn More

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

container plants hanging basket
digging the garden in wellies
garden party
container gardening with children and dobbies garden centres

AMAZON ASSOCIATE

 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright Growing Family 2022. Design by Stacey Corrin.