Gardeners urged to keep one type of flower in gardens in March

Yellow dandelion flowers blooming on summer meadow in green sunny garden

Dandelions are a great way to boost biodiversity in your garden (Image: Getty)

The days are starting to get longer and lighter, buds have begun sprouting and temperatures are finally warming up, which can only mean that .

According to , astronomical spring starts on March 20 this year and ends on June 21. Astronomical seasons refer to the position of the Earth’s orbit in relation to the sun, taking into account equinoxes and solstices, and as the seasons vary in length, the start date typically falls on a different day every year.

But if you base the start of the seasons on the meteorological calendar, which considers the annual temperature cycle, then spring will always start on March 1 and end on May 31 every year.

But whichever seasonal calendar you’re following, spring will be arriving in March which means there’s to prepare for the new season.

According to gardening experts, one important thing to do in March to help your garden thrive is to allow a few dandelions to grow.

While dandelions are often considered weeds by many gardeners, the flowers actually have many positive benefits and uses which makes them worthy of keeping around.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) recommends keeping a few dandelions in your garden in March to support early bees as they provide a food at a time when other sources are harder to come by.

The yellow flowers are a great way to attract more wildlife and boost biodiversity in your garden, as their rich nectar is loved by bees and butterflies, while the seeds are eaten by small birds.

The RHS explains: “Dandelions are now known to have many benefits and uses, transforming gardeners’ opinions from weed to wildlife plant. Their value to wildlife, providing food to many insects and birds, is perhaps the main reason why they should be welcomed in our gardens.

“Their nectar- and pollen-rich flowers appear over a long period and are loved by bees and butterflies – which is why dandelions are included on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list. The early flowers are especially valuable as they provide food at a time when other sources are scarce. The seeds that follow provide food for bullfinches, greenfinches, goldfinches and serins.”

Don’t miss…

Gardeners are advised to limit dandelion numbers in borders, beds or fine lawns as they could swamp other small or young plants, preventing them from growing properly.

You can deadhead some of the dandelions in your garden as the flowers begin to fade to help reduce the amount of new seedlings. But experts don’t recommend getting rid of dandelions entirely as they have too many positive benefits to wildlife.

The RHS adds: “Allowing dandelions to grow in your lawn, wildflower meadow, wildlife corner or in less-cultivated areas is a great way to boost the biodiversity of your garden. You could even grow a small patch in your veg beds to encourage pollinators to your crops and to use for harvesting.

“You can control the spread of dandelions by deadheading and removing any seedlings that appear out of bounds, so there is space in almost all gardens for this valuable wildflower. You may, however, want to remove those growing in fine lawns or highly cultivated beds and borders.”

Related Posts


This will close in 0 seconds