Flowers to plant and sow in March

Annuals stem from tiny seedlings and will grow, flower and spread their seed all in the same year.

Direct sowing annuals

At this time of the year, we can still expect cold weather during the night and on some days. Direct sowing is therefore only possible if you wait until the second half of the month. Some cold-tolerant plants are able to slow down their growth during colder periods before picking up growth at the first sign of sunshine. Want to know which flowers will bloom in May or even April? Think about the types of flowers you see around the countryside at this time: poppies, cornflowers, bellflowers, daisies and lungwort should all be blooming in spring.

So why not pick up a wildflower seed mix to create your own wildflower meadow? Simply broadcast sow the seeds in the spring for a patchwork of colourful flowers just a few weeks later. What's more, these seed mixtures attract insects like butterflies and bees. In addition to the species already mentioned, a wildflower seed mixture might also contain plants like tickseed, corn daisies, corncockles or malopes.

Other flower seeds worth direct sowing this month include: knapweeds, larkspur or the self-seeding love-in-a-mist. Sweet peas can also be grown in part shade and borage, with its bright blue flowers, also does very well in light shade. And both are edible!

Greenhouse or indoor sowing

While direct sowing may still be fairly limited during this period, many annual flowers can be sown inside. Sowing indoors can encourage early flowering; sometimes as early as May! The options here are endless, but the following varieties tend to be readily available: nasturtiums, cosmos, zinnias, morning glories, balsam, jasmine tobacco, sweet peas, petunias, snapdragons, malopes, lobelias, touch-me-nots, and French, English and Mexican marigolds. Blanket flowers, pheasants' eye, ageratum and marguerite daisies will also do well started indoors.

Sowing in planters

You might also want to sow your annual or perennial flower seeds in pots at the start of the month. This can include things like daisies, pansies, primroses, and so on.

Perennials are plants that remain in place and flower year after year as their stems die back each year but their roots do not.

Greenhouse sowing

While perennials are easy enough to grow from seed, these types of plants are more commonly sold in pots. If you do decide to sow your own perennial flowers, March is not really the best time to get these started; it is better to wait for sunnier days and bear in mind that your perennials often won't flower until the following year.

However, if you're looking for a summer bloom, some varieties can be sown in February or March in a mini greenhouse or indoors. Maiden pink (Dianthus deltoides), blue flax, marsh spurge, blue poppies (Meconopsis grandis) and alpine skullcap are all worth a try.

Planting perennials

Perennial plants are almost always available in pots for easy planting. Theoretically, they can be planted all year round with the exception of periods of frost.

Your first perennial flowers can be sown towards the end of the month. Hollyhock, bergenia, lupine, wallflower and honeysuckle can all go in your flower beds. Fuchsias, plantain lilies, periwinkles and foxgloves will do best in partial shade while foxgloves look great in dense groups in flower beds or bordering a hedge.

For any rocky areas of the garden, go for aubrieta, candytuft or stonecrop.

You can eventually divide perennials such as larkspur and tickseed and replant them elsewhere.

Spring is the best time to plant summer flowering bulbs. If you want flowers at different times (to make bouquets for example), stagger your planting cycles. You can start planting inside in March and gradually bring your bulbs outside as you need them.

As a general rule, bulbs should be planted at a depth of around 2 to 3 times their height from the top of the bulb to the surface of the soil. However, some plants, such as lily of the nile, will need to be buried deeper (about 30 cm).

Planting bulbs in the ground

Gladioli, lilies and crocosmia bulbs can be planted towards the end of the month. However, it's best to wait until April or May to plant the other bulbs in the ground. Bulbs generally need a well draining soil. If the soil is too clay heavy, the bulbs may rot. In this case, simply add some sand.

Dig a hole with a bulb planter or trowel. Avoid using a dibber to plant bulbs as these tools tend to leave empty space beneath the bulb. Once you're done, you can add a special bulb fertiliser if you like, but do not add fresh manure!

Plant any bulbs that have flowered in pots in a corner of the garden to increase your chances of seeing them bloom again next spring. This can include plants like hyacinths, daffodils, crocuses, and so on.

Planting bulbs in the greenhouse

Many summer-flowering bulbs can be started in a greenhouse or under a polytunnel. This includes tuberous begonias, cannas, polyanthus lilies, dahlias, freesia, buttercups, arum lilies, anemones, ornamental alliums and lilies of the Nile, to name but a few.

If you decide to sow in pots, any container can be used as long as it is deep enough.

Looking for some flowers to spruce up your balcony in March? Fill planters with cold-tolerant flowers that will bloom before spring arrives. Daisies, violets, pansies and marigolds are all great options.

Lots of different types of flowers (including those grown from bulbs) can be planted in pots which can be gathered together in plant stands. Fill your containers with a mixture of 1/3 potting soil, 1/3 garden soil and 1/3 sand.

Towards the end of the month is the perfect time to start repotting fuchsias and ivy geraniums, or to plant or transplant nasturtiums and petunias.

A wall or a fence can easily be spruced up with climbing plants like clematis, honeysuckle or ivy.

Want more gardening tips? Follow the links below for advice from our editors:

• What to plant or sow in March?

• Which vegetables should I plant in March?

• How to weed your garden

• Lawnmower buying guide

• Tiller and cultivator buying guide

• Mulch buying guide

• When to plant a tree

• How to prepare the soil in a vegetable garden

• How to mulch your garden and why