Winter pruning can be completed in March. Dogwood, shrubby willows, and ornamental Rubus, grown for their winter-coloured stems, should be cut down hard. Prune to about one or two buds of last year’s growth to leave a stubby framework. Late flowering shrubs such as Buddlejas should be treated in the same way to give a better display in the autumn.

Cut down all growth from last year’s perennial plants if you left them over winter; even if the seed heads are still looking good, you need to get rid of them now to make way for new growth. Perennial plants will also benefit from an application of a good general fertiliser now.

This is the best time of year to prune bush and shrub roses (not climbers or ramblers, which should have been done in the autumn). Remove all winter damage and don’t worry about pruning bush roses hard – it will help them produce really good growth and flowers in summer. By thinning overcrowded growth you’ll be letting in more light and air and avoiding problems with pests and diseases. Cuts must be clean, so use a good pair of SHARP secateurs; you might also need loppers for thicker shoots. Cut out any shoots that are crossing or rubbing against each other. Always prune to the outward facing bud. The harder you prune, the more vigorous the growth will be.

It’s essential to protect young, tender shoots of Delphiniums, Hostas, Lupins and other vulnerable plants from slug damage at this time of year. These pests can do a lot of damage to newly emerging shoots before they’ve barely emerged from the soil, and you might not be aware of this until the leaves begin to open up. The best organic method of protection is to put a layer of coarse grit around the base of the plant.

Please get your lawn mower serviced, if you haven’t already. There’s nothing worse than trying to cut a lawn with a blunt mower. Rather than being cut cleanly, the grass is more likely to be torn with a blunt blade, which harms it.

Once the grass starts to grow, start mowing regularly. For the first few cuts set the blades at the highest setting. Collect the clippings so the air and rain can penetrate the grass. Feed the lawn with a lawn fertiliser at the end of March.

According to the National Wildlife Trust, nature is in crisis. However, there is much we gardeners can do to help and one of the best things is to leave our grass longer to allow the establishment of native flowers, essential to pollinators. Long grass is essential for attracting healthy and varied insect populations and it doesn’t have to be a huge area. Just leaving the edges of the lawn to grow longer is massively beneficial to nature. Or, even better, if you let your grass grow naturally, perhaps just mowing a narrow path through, a variety of wildflowers, such as cowslips, ox-eye daisies and meadow cranesbill have a chance to establish.