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With spring theoretically well under way (let’s pretend for a moment that a substantial proportion of Britons are not looking out of their window and seeing snow) it’s a busy time in the garden. Obviously the priorities at the moment are going to be keeping the tender plants wrapped up and the greenhouse heated - but here’s a few tips for when the weather improves:

• Apply organic material to revive the soil - you can do this in the form of mulch and deal with the inevitable spring weed crop before it gets a chance to sprout. If it’s too late, get the hoe out (and dispose of the results in a way that stops them reoccupying our garden).
• Love your lawn - give it a feed, if this is the kind of thing you usually do, or take a look at this BBC Gardening guide to creating an organic lawn. Cut it back as soon as the grass is dry enough, neaten up your edges and give it a good going over with the scarifier. Remember that the compost heap loves grass cuttings but doesn’t want to be swamped with them - combine them with kitchen waste or even torn-up cardboard for a better balance.
• Plant any summer-flowering bulbs that you have in mind as soon as the soil is dry enough. Dead-head and tidy up any spring-flowering bulbs that need it - a liquid feed before they die down will boost them for next year, try soaking a little home-made compost in a bucket for a few days and using the resulting liquid for this purpose.
• Take out any winter and spring bedding that is past its prime and start preparing your beds for summer planting. But beware of the frost! Do no more than prepare…
• Take the opportunity to clean up your paths and patios - it’s a chore, we know, but you’ll be very glad in a month or two that you did it now.
• Check your vegetable planting schedule. This is the time of year when many perennials such as asparagus and rhubarb like to go in.

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In like a lion and out like a lamb - while early days in March may well still feel like the middle of winter, by the end of the month it should be all systems go in the garden.

There’s plenty to do this month, including overhauling shrubs, starting off your vegetable crops and trying out ways to make your garden wildlife-friendly. Here’s our list of seasonal to-dos for March:

• Cut the grass - we bet you’ve missed this, haven’t you? Grass is likely to be one of the hardiest and most successful plants in your garden, and yet it still needs care and attention. Time to get it into shape for spring.
• Prune back heathers and lavenders ready for the new growing season.
• Shrubs will also benefit from a pruning - get some advice here.You can also take the opportunity to take some hardwood cuttings - advice here - and to apply fertilizer and mulch.
• Get your pond into good shape since frogs and toads will soon be along to start spawning. Skim off any winter debris and divide any plants around the margins that are getting a bit dense.
• Apply environmentally pest control - unfortunately it’s not just the plants that are waking up, but the slugs too. Consider using the used skins of halved oranges and grapefruits to control them - more tips here.
• Sow half-hardy annuals including petunias, french marigolds, salvias and nicotianas, indoors.
• Now’s a good time to get your new roses planted - read some advice from the RHS here - and also hardy shrubs such as fuscias, conifers and lilies.
• Sow vegetables outdoors - possible crops include broad beans, beetroots, Brussels sprouts, summer cabbages, leeks, lettuces, hardy peas and radishes - see this BBC article for advice.

February’s a tantalising month - the first signs of spring are in the air but it isn’t quite here yet. But never fear, there’s plenty to do in the garden already.

This month it’s all about preparation - sowing seeds, sorting out beds, doing those last bits of pruning, separating and tidying to make sure everything’s good to go the minute the weather picks up. Here’s our list of seasonal to-dos for February:

• Mulch between trees, shrubs, roses and fruit bushes, and even heap the stuff on top of dormant perennials - a great frost-protector and a nutritious start to the new season.
• Deadhead your winter-flowering plants that are now past their best.
• Divide clumps of perennials - think of it as your very own plant factory, and a great way to re-stock depleted beds.
• Work in compost - time to give that heap a clear-out and start nourishing your beds for spring. Be sure to dig it in properly - nothing looks worse than great lumps of vegetable matter laying on top of the soil.
• Hoe and weed your vegetable beds and sow any early seeds that feature in your plans. If you’re planning to plant potatoes it’s time to start thinking about chitting them - more info from the RHS here.
• February’s a good time to prune Clematis - especially the large-flowering varieties. Start at the bottom, find the lowest, healthy, fat, pair of buds on each stem and cut immediately above them. Find more pruning tips here.

It’s hard to motivate yourself to get outside during this month, never mind dodging the rain for long enough to actually do anything useful.

But have a go and you’ll find you immediately feel better - and there’s a surprising amount you can get done. Here’s our list of seasonal to-dos for January:

• Mulch your borders - shredded prunings (even the Christmas tree), ash, well-rotted leaf mould and manure or home-made compost are all excellent for this task. Your goal at this time of year is to reduce the potential for weeds to spring up the minute the sun comes out - so do a thorough job and make sure the surface is weed-free before you start. You are also aiming to trap moisture in the soil. Spread to a depth of about 5cm/2.5in and rake it smooth once you’ve finished to make the beds look neat.
• Turn over the compost heap - frost is a key factor in helping to break down the kitchen and garden waste you’ve put on there. Getting to work with a fork will help aerate it and encourage the natural processes that help it rot down.
• Dig over your vegetable beds - it may sound daunting, but what better way to fulfil a few of those New Year resolutions and work off the Christmas comestibles? Frost will help to break down the soil and persistent weeds will be growing whatever the season. So it’s time to get the fork out and get everything in good condition for spring planting.
• Move any shrubs which have outgrown their space or are in the wrong place - and take cuttings. For advice on making root cuttings that thrive, read this BBC gardening article on the subject.
• Cut back perennials before that spring growth spurt comes along. Be careful to prune sympathetically, taking back each branch just above a suitable, healthy set of buds in order to promote new growth and get the shape you want. Don’t forget to clear out any dead wood at the bottom or interior of the bush. This is obviously very general advice - for more detailed instructions, read a RHS article on renovating old shrubs here.
• Give your greenhouse an airing - this is a fair-weather job but, after it’s been shut up all winter, it will certainly benefit from a little fresh air and you’ll be glad in spring that you got it ready.
• Clean up the mess - chances are that, while you’ve been hiding inside, your garden’s picked up a detritus of dead leaves, bits of moss, fallen twigs and branches plus plant matter that’s blown in from the surrounding neighbourhood. Clear it all up and chuck the good stuff on the compost heap, to give yourself a bit of encouragement for the work to come. There’s nothing like starting the new year with a clean slate…

Winter may be well and truly on its way but that doesn’t mean you have to retreat completely indoors.

Make the most of the sunny days to do these seasonal gardening tasks and you’ll reap the benefits in spring, as well as feeling much better for the fresh air and exercise:

• Wrap up those tender plants - in fact, stop reading this and go and do it right now. You’ll only regret it if there’s a sudden frost. The ubiquitous horticultural fleece is a popular choice, but straw and chipped bark are also useful materials. Here’s a great Gardeners World guide to the subject.
• Never underestimate the beneficial effects of digging! Either for you or for your soil. Wait for a nice sunny day when it’s not been too wet recently, get out there and get stuck in. You’ll appreciate it in spring, when your soil’s in fine condition for planting.
• Look after your fences, shed and trellises. Renew any wood treatment that is appropriate.
• Have a look around for any perennials that are getting a bit big and unwieldy. Time to split them! Use a nice, sharp spade for the job and use the resulting spare plants to restock your garden - or to hand round as timely gifts to friends and relatives.
• It’s also a good time to move any shrubs that have been nagging at you this year. Try to leave the rootball as intact and undamaged as you can to give them the best chance in their new location. If the weather conditions remain dry, continue planting evergreen shrubs, conifers and hedging. You can even continue planting as long as the weather doesnt’ turn too wet. Preparation is everything, and you should give them a really good start in life with plenty of compost - but don’t over-water at this time of year.
• Rake the lawn - but treat it gently if there has been heavy rain recently. Make sure your patio, balcony or paths aren’t disappearing under mounds of old leaves and soil. Collect up any leaves and store them for rotting down, but best to do this separately from the main compost heap, as they take longer. The resulting mulch will be a wonderful treat for your beds a year or two down the line.
• Prune down those big feature roses. Your aim is to stop wind damaging them, so don’t be afraid, take off about half their height. Read this helpful pruning guide from Harkness Roses.