Thankfully, we can touch March on the nose now. Saturday is March 1 and also St David’s Day, of course. Possibly the most well-known weather folklore associated with the beginning of March is “in like a lion out like a lamb”, which reflects the fact that the beginning of the month was traditionally stormy with the weather calming down towards April. This weekend’s forecast is more ‘lamb-like’ so maybe it will go out like a lion. Who knows.

There’s still lots to do in the garden. As snowdrop blooms start to fade, it’s a good time to lift up large clumps, divide them and replant to increase your ‘lovely white carpets’. Most recommendations are to wait until the flowers have gone altogether and replant the bulb ‘in the green’ whilst you can still see their leaves, but I like to do it as the flowers fade, as it gives you a better visual guide to where they are. They spread quickly and I love dividing and replanting them now and then being pleasantly surprised next year as they flower in places I had forgotten I had put them.

Now is the time to prune buddleias to keep them ‘well behaved’. If you have buddleia(s) in areas where they can be left to their own devices, then that’s OK but otherwise, it is best to cut them back hard now so they can produce fresh new growth and remain at a manageable size.

Cut back wisteria shoots to three buds to get a good show of flowers in May and June. I have mixed feelings about wisteria. It is said that it is a shrub that you should only give to an enemy as it’s hard work to maintain properly, and it can actually provide a good ’ladder’ for scallywags to access upper windows. Something often not considered. But every time I see a happy, healthy wisteria in full bloom I can’t help but feel some love and admiration for it.

Large clumps of herbaceous plants can be lifted, divided and replanted now too, or swap a clump of yours with a friend or neighbour for something you haven’t got.

Endeavour to complete winter pruning of fruit trees and autumn flowering raspberries early this month and when no frost is forecast.

If you have a greenhouse or spare room in a conservatory or on a windowsill , you can get those green fingers back into action by sowing sweet peas, cosmos, nasturtiums and other annuals. This will give them a good head start and make you feel like spring is on its way.

I am slowly working my way through a hefty ‘to do’ list, optimistically compiled during the long, cold, dark winter months. One of the things I’ve yet to sort out is to get a nest box and camera set up in my garden. I have recommended them for years but I have always been a bit put off by the tech side of a ‘nest cam’. There is a huge choice on the market now though, including an extensive range of Wi-Fi, wireless and wired connections and even a solar powered WiFi Bird Box Camera. You can install a bird box camera into an existing nest box or buy a nest box with a camera in it and have the feathered families displayed on a TV, a monitor or your phone.

And now I have pledged to sort one out for my garden in this column I feel some sort of accountability, so I’ll let you know as soon as I am set up with Nest Flix.

Finally, just a quick reminder that we will be having a Thanksgiving Service for Mum at St Catwg’s Church in Llangattock on Friday 28th February at 2 pm. You are welcome to bring a single flower or feather to be included in a larger arrangement for the Church. Thank you.