TIME for planting and moving herbaceous plants is upon us. Woody items - trees and shrubs - should not be moved until growth has stopped in another five or six weeks, in planting herbaceous plants the cleanliness of the soil is of vital importance, with the ground really well dug, broken up and all weeds removed.
It is pointless planting into ground where there are roots of perennial weeds such as ground elder, scutch grass or bindweed. Removing these weeds - any one piece of root will re grow and colonise again, causing heartache and unending annoyance - will be slow and time consuming if undertaken by hand. Whatever route chosen - hand weeding or the use of systematic weedkiller - the job must he thorough.
For herbaceous plants to grow well, average garden soil will need enriching with well rotted farmyard manure or garden compost. Now is the time to stock up and ensure adequate supplies for winter and spring. Horse and cow manure can be bought through some of the garden centres as well as direct from the occasional farm. Yes, farmyard manure will contain lot of weed seeds as well as essential nutrients and organic matter. Like the best things in life, it can be fraught with danger.