Remove any dead, diseased or damaged stems from roses this month. On bush varieties, cut stems back to an outward-facing bud, shortening them by about a third or half
Lift and divide congested clumps of perennials or plant new ones. People gardening on light soils may have completed this task last autumn, but those on heavy clay soils benefit from waiting until spring when conditions are warmer and drier
Summer-flowering clematis varieties that blossom on the current season’s growth, need to have last year’s growth pruned out not. Cut any tangled old stems down to a pair of new shoots near ground level as soon as possible
Lift and divide any congested snowdrops after flowering but while still in leaf. Carefully tease the clumps apart and replant the bulbs at the same depths they were before
Sprinkle general-purpose fertiliser along the base of hedges and around trees and shrubs, followed by generous mulch of rotted compost
Plant begonia tubers of moist compost, barely covering the top. Study the tubers carefully before planting and you will notice that they are convex on one side and concave on the other. The concave side should be uppermost in the pot. Keep them in a warm, bright position, watering when the compost dries out. Pot each one up individually when shoots are 2 to 3 inches long
Plant dahlia tubers in trays of compost to encourage shoots to grow. Any shoots that appear can be used as cuttings in trays of compost to encourage shoots to grow. Any shoots that appear can be used as cuttings
Fuchsias - as conditions start to warm up during March, keep the compost just moist and mist over stems with a light spray of water. Dead stems can be pruned back hard. If you are not sure how far to prune, wait until you see signs of new shoots emerging near the base of the stems and prune back to just above these. Once they start to grow strongly, increase watering, feed weekly and pot up if required
Wash frames and cloches inside and out with soapy water to clean away any build-up of dirt. This ensures maximum light passes through the glass or plastic to reach seedlings and crops at this dull time of year
Check that mowers and garden machinery are in good working order and ready for the season ahead
Clear away old plant debris from around the margins of ponds and use a net to scoop out any leaves that have fallen into the water
