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This video explains the most important spring gardening jobs to focus on and how to prepare your garden for a productive growing season.
The guide covers soil preparation, early sowing, pruning, feeding, organising planting areas and protecting young plants from changing weather conditions. It also explains how proper spring preparation sets the foundation for stronger growth and better harvests.
If you want to stay on top of seasonal tasks and give your garden the best possible start, these simple and practical tips will help you plan and prepare effectively.
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0:00
hello and welcome to gardening with
0:03
Ben's awardwinning podcast as voted by
0:07
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0:09
followers and listeners so if you're new
0:12
to the podcast make sure you click that
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subscribe button to stay up to date with
0:15
all our podcasts listen back to all our
0:18
previous episodes sit back grab a brew
0:21
and let's enjoy today's episode hello
0:25
and welcome back to gardening with Ben
0:29
on the first day of spring I hope you've
0:31
listened to my two podcasts what have
0:33
gone out already today and I hope you've
0:35
enjoyed them and this is a third podcast
0:39
in one day wow we are certainly doing
0:42
well today and yeah I don't think I've
0:44
ever put three out in one day but here
0:46
we are here's a podcast for you and
0:49
we're going to be talking about what we
0:51
have been up to today at the allotment
0:53
and in the garden and wow today has been
0:57
a fantastic day you can certainly tell
1:00
tell that spring is in the air finally
1:03
and it just goes to show when you look
1:06
around the flowers are opening up the
1:08
buds are coming the bees are buzzing the
1:11
birds are tweeting and the weather is
1:13
warmer which is definitely a bonus it's
1:17
certainly not going to be a bad spring I
1:19
don't think fingers crossed he
1:22
says but yeah uh it has been absolutely
1:26
gorgeous today and usually on a Sunday
1:29
when I wake wake up I usually watch all
1:31
the gardening programs but I didn't see
1:33
them on when I got woke up this morning
1:35
so whether they'd put them on at a
1:36
different time or whether I'd missed
1:38
them that is a good question uh but I
1:42
usually like watching all the gardening
1:44
programs before I go to the allotment
1:46
but we got to the allotment at about
1:49
quter 9 this morning very early for me
1:53
but as I said the ligh of mornings are
1:55
coming so we're getting down there
1:56
earlier and I think we will be down
1:58
there even earlier tomorrow depending if
2:01
we're awake or
2:03
not and it's funny really cuz like I've
2:07
just had a little nap and I've woke up
2:09
and it's that feeling when you feel like
2:11
you've got bit sunburnt because it's
2:14
been that nice today it's been
2:16
absolutely glorious so we got down there
2:19
about quter 9 this morning and today's
2:23
job has been basically just sorting out
2:28
my main plot area of my plot now I
2:31
didn't think it' take that long to dig
2:33
it over and I've dug over how many beds
2:37
have I dug over
2:40
today about 12 beds these were already
2:44
already dug over uh I dug them over
2:46
about a month ago but I'm wanting to
2:50
keep digging them over until I'm
2:51
actually using them so that we can keep
2:53
getting the weeds and The Roots out of
2:55
them because keeping on top of that will
2:58
hopefully not get you as many weeds in
3:02
the summer months if we get all the beds
3:05
nice and clear and tidy now ready for
3:08
the months ahead so I'm trying to do
3:11
that every couple of weeks we'll be
3:12
doing it again in another couple of
3:13
weeks clear uh digging all the beds over
3:16
and I've been having a lot of issues
3:18
with bind weed
3:20
and the I did give the beds a good
3:24
digging over previously and got a lot of
3:27
the bind weed out but I've
3:30
been digging them over today and I can
3:32
see bindweed has been growing again and
3:34
bindweed grows really fast I mean
3:37
extremely fast if you've had bind weed
3:40
you know how bad it is um so I found
3:44
quite a bit in some of the beds but not
3:46
as much as I hoped so that's a good sign
3:50
but a lot of the bind weed is coming
3:52
from the paths that go down the sides of
3:55
my beds so at the mo once a year I like
3:59
to dig over my beds as well uh my paths
4:02
not my beds um I have black membrane
4:05
down on there obviously it stops all the
4:07
weeds from growing but it doesn't stop
4:09
the roots from growing underneath it so
4:12
it's a case of pulling all the black
4:14
membrane up and red digging it all over
4:17
and obviously that's been compacted down
4:19
for months uh for nine months or so so
4:23
it's a hard job digging over that it's
4:26
wet obviously because the rain goes
4:28
through the black membrane but it is a
4:30
hard job digging it over but we're
4:33
getting there we're cracking on with it
4:34
and I can't complain cuz I'm pleased
4:36
with how it's all coming along um once
4:38
we've got all the beds dug over and all
4:41
the paths sorted we will hopefully be
4:44
painting all the beds in April that's
4:47
the plan anyway if all goes to plan
4:51
tomorrow's job um is going to be doing
4:53
the rest of the plot um getting all that
4:57
dug over and all the paths done so it's
5:00
I'm on to a mission at the moment I'm
5:01
hoping that I get all the beds and the
5:03
paths dug over by Tuesday and that
5:07
should stand me in good stead to getting
5:10
it all done and then next week will be a
5:14
case of finishing off all the
5:15
maintenance work around them beds and
5:18
getting all that sorted so we'll have to
5:20
see if we manage to do that on time or
5:23
not and if not oh well we'll eat into
5:27
ail but then I've also got the top of my
5:30
plot I need to sort out all my new herb
5:33
area that I'm going to build I'm looking
5:35
forward to building that new herb area
5:37
around the top of my plot and a nice
5:39
seating area for it so we're going to be
5:42
looking at how to design that and again
5:45
I'm looking at drawing a plan it's
5:47
always good to draw a plan of what you
5:49
want to do and what you want to achieve
5:51
never try and do too much you can always
5:54
make improvements the year after but
5:56
start off small and steady and work off
5:59
that and that's all I've done over these
6:01
years I'm just improving
6:03
it year on year when I'm doing my
6:06
allotment and that's how I managed to
6:09
get it to progress to what it is now
6:11
because of all that time and effort and
6:13
making it look nice and I'm pleased with
6:16
the outcome I'm pleased with how it's
6:17
coming on I really am I'm certainly
6:20
cracking on with it now and it's
6:21
certainly coming along and it was just
6:23
nice today to be out in the sunshine out
6:26
in the fresh air the skies were blue and
6:29
and it it were amazing it were
6:31
absolutely lovely and there were quite a
6:33
few over people down on the plot today
6:35
which always helped uh yeah it's always
6:38
good to see other people down on the
6:40
alotment cuz I don't often see many
6:41
people working shifts I only see a few
6:44
people down at the allotment because um
6:47
obviously I'm off in the week so nobody
6:50
often goes down in the week time because
6:52
a lot of allotment people now are
6:54
younger people uh they're not
6:56
necessarily retired which a lot of older
6:59
day job olden day allotment holders
7:02
would have been retired uh the times are
7:04
changing and more people are getting
7:06
into it so there's a lot more younger
7:07
people getting into it so I don't often
7:09
see that many people it's only at
7:11
weekends I tend to see
7:13
people so yeah it's been a very
7:15
productive day today and hopefully
7:18
fingers crossed tomorrow will be even
7:20
more productive like I said I'm hoping
7:24
that I managed to get down to the plot
7:25
tomorrow because I want to spend a good
7:27
amount of time down at the plot I may go
7:30
past my usual time of going home I
7:32
usually go home at about half 1 but I'll
7:34
probably end up staying till about 3:00
7:36
tomorrow because we've got so much to
7:39
get done in so little
7:42
time and I want to get all the rest of
7:45
my beds to over like I said and all the
7:47
paths sorted on my main plot that is my
7:50
main challenge tomorrow and also I want
7:53
to look at finishing my pond off getting
7:56
all that designed and ready for some
7:58
plants uh at the end of um March because
8:02
like I said I've dug it out but there's
8:04
quite a bit of a lip on it because where
8:06
I were digging it will going down to the
8:08
clay so I didn't really want to start
8:09
digging the clay out of the soil so
8:12
there's quite a bit of a lip on it so I
8:13
need to build it up around the edges so
8:15
that the soil goes up to the lip and
8:18
then I'm going to think about what FL
8:21
flowers and plants I want to plant
8:23
around the pond uh I want them to be
8:25
nice plants and also get some nice rocks
8:29
uh to around it I want to use like the
8:31
old Yorkshire Rock uh not just bricks I
8:33
want to use actual stone and try and
8:36
make it nice and attractive and
8:38
welcoming Mele and I'm just pleased that
8:41
the waters managed to stay in that was
8:43
the main thing uh which we've done so
8:45
I'm pleased that the water stayed in so
8:48
yeah and then I need to start looking at
8:51
what pond plants to get so if you know
8:53
much about pond plants please do send me
8:56
a message and let me know some good pond
8:58
plants I want some that's got some nice
9:00
flowers on them if possible uh obviously
9:02
so that it attract insects and attract
9:05
uh bees as well so let me know and drop
9:09
me a message on Instagram or Facebook
9:11
it's always good to hear from people and
9:13
yeah give me some advice I'm always up
9:16
for extra advice I don't mind it
9:18
whatsoever people sending me
9:20
messages so we need that to do and what
9:24
else have I been up to well today it's
9:26
been my favorite day of the month
9:30
and that is the pollen Market in
9:33
Sheffield and the pollen Market if
9:36
you've not heard me talk about it before
9:39
is a market of basically all garden
9:43
stuff uh it's Market dedicated to
9:46
gardening and gardening craft there's
9:49
like different types of gardening stores
9:52
all over and I made quite a few good
9:55
friends down there now um because I go
9:58
every month and I get talking to people
10:01
and I like to support them as well and
10:03
it's good to hear from other people and
10:06
hear what they're getting up to at the
10:09
uh in their gardening and I often talk
10:12
to a store called giddy Keepers plants
10:16
and I I I I talk for ages with them and
10:20
we're just talking about what sort of
10:22
seeds we're sewing at the moment what
10:24
we're planting what we're growing and he
10:26
was telling me what plants are doing
10:29
doing so good on his stall and
10:31
everything like that and one of the
10:33
plants that they did brilliant with last
10:35
year is um rhubard plants they did
10:39
fantastic at growing rhar plants and
10:41
selling them uh they must have sold over
10:43
200 plants last year was telling me uh
10:47
so he's really going for it with the
10:49
rhar plants this year um it's amazing
10:53
how easy to grow rhubarb as well from
10:55
seed uh which he does and I've tried
10:58
growing rubar from seed and it's so easy
11:01
to do uh so so easy so if you're wanting
11:04
to grow some rhubarb get some sewn in by
11:07
seed now and next year you'll be picking
11:10
delicious rhubarb hopefully so yeah have
11:14
a go trying to grow rubab from seed and
11:18
you won't regret it and obviously rubab
11:21
is very expensive in the shops and
11:23
altogether I've got about 16 plants on
11:25
my plot you might wonder why I've got 16
11:28
Plants why would you need 16 RAR plants
11:31
but I give a lot away and I give it to
11:35
my mom my mom does all my baking she
11:37
makes me crumbles and lots of delicious
11:40
stuff out of it so yeah um if you like
11:44
rhob Get Growing some because it does
11:46
give good returns from it so we went to
11:49
obviously the pollen market and I will
11:51
catch it up with him and yeah it was
11:55
absolutely rammed in Sheffield today um
11:58
the weather was fantastic so it
12:01
attracted everybody to come out and
12:03
support them which I'm pleased about
12:05
because it didn't really start up until
12:08
uh the winter time when it was the wrong
12:10
time of year to be starting up a
12:12
gardening uh Market really uh I think it
12:15
started like October time September
12:18
October time so it didn't really get
12:21
that chance to get going uh but now that
12:25
it's coming to the right time of the
12:26
year it was absolutely rammed and I was
12:29
so pleased for them because they were
12:31
selling out of everything and that's
12:33
what you need you need to support these
12:35
local businesses like they grow
12:37
everything themselves uh to sell and it
12:40
was fantastic to see their stall empty
12:43
of plants because they done that well
12:46
and they'd sold that much
12:48
so hopefully fingers crossed this Market
12:51
will get bigger and better every month
12:54
uh it's just gone from a few stores and
12:57
I was talking to somebody else today and
12:58
they said that there were 33 stores
13:00
today and there's just different crafts
13:03
and different types of stores there's
13:06
stores selling house plants indoor
13:09
plants lots of stores selling outdoor
13:11
plants and ornaments and stuff like that
13:14
then there was another chap who I often
13:16
go and see where they sell candles uh
13:19
what they've made themselves and that's
13:20
called sprig candles if you want to go
13:22
and have a look at his Instagram
13:25
um yep he has some fantastic candles and
13:28
they smell absolutely wonderful so go
13:31
and have a check at them and also I was
13:35
having a look around and there's quite a
13:37
few other stalls popping up now and it's
13:39
run by the council uh so it's good to
13:42
see some other community groups coming
13:45
along and there was the friends of the
13:48
botanical gardens now if you've not been
13:50
to the botanical gardens in Sheffield
13:52
it's definitely worth a
13:55
visit and the botanical gardens is
13:59
absolutely beautiful and obviously I
14:01
love to support anyone that looks after
14:03
them because over the last two years the
14:06
panical gardens was like a heaven to
14:08
people because they could go and enjoy
14:10
the fresh air and relax there and it
14:13
takes a lot to look after these places
14:15
and obviously money and they were
14:17
telling me that Sheffield botanical
14:19
gardens is probably one of the only
14:21
botanical gardens where it's actually
14:23
free to get in and go and have a look
14:26
around so yeah that one good thing about
14:30
Sheffield Botanical Gardens and I've
14:33
looked in there and there's so many
14:34
lovely flowers in fact I do I am due a
14:38
walk down there sometimes go and have a
14:40
look around and get some pictures
14:42
because they were telling me that all
14:43
the spring flowers are out there down
14:45
there now so it's good to see all that
14:48
so I'm going to have to put it on my
14:49
list of places to go and have a look
14:51
around and they're also telling me about
14:54
different talks what are coming up as
14:56
well and you can go and listen to all
14:58
the talks what happen at Botanical
14:59
Gardens so I might do that I might sign
15:02
up and be a friend of the Botanical
15:04
Gardens and they said to me they said uh
15:06
and if you've got any free time you're
15:09
more than welcome to come and do some uh
15:11
volunteer work if you've got time uh but
15:14
I don't think I've got much time at the
15:16
moment once I've maybe got everything
15:18
sorted out on my plot maybe we will go
15:21
down and give them that lending hand
15:23
that they need and then there was
15:25
another group there was uh eeka Woods
15:29
and it's a group where they make loads
15:32
of craft stuff out of wood and materials
15:36
and wow some of the stuff there was
15:39
fantastic what they've done and they
15:41
made this like Throne type chair out of
15:45
sticks and I took a photo of it because
15:49
I might just give something like that a
15:50
go myself uh knowing my DIY skills but
15:55
it will be absolutely rubbish but we'll
15:57
have to see we'll have to see what looks
15:59
like maybe we will maybe we won't but
16:01
we'll see how we get on with it and
16:03
we'll see if we actually manage to make
16:06
something uh I would like it though it
16:09
was very natural looking which was
16:12
amazing and then they just made all
16:13
these dibbers out of w and they made all
16:16
these like stars out of sticks and stuff
16:19
like that and it it's given me so many
16:21
ideas of things to make uh but yeah it's
16:25
just having a go trying to do it we'll
16:27
have to we'll have to have a go at
16:28
something we we'll have a go at doing
16:31
something uh so I'll have to share my
16:34
success or no success with you all uh
16:37
once we've done it but yeah it's been an
16:40
amazing day today and uh somebody said
16:43
to me today they said how are you and I
16:45
said I'm feeling tons more better this
16:48
beautiful sunshine certainly makes you
16:50
feel so much better in yourself uh I
16:53
don't know you're the same uh but when
16:55
it's dull and miserable it does make you
16:57
feel horrible but this all sunny weather
17:00
certainly books you up and makes you
17:02
smile and it makes you happy again and
17:05
today has been one of those days and
17:07
this week I thought it were going to get
17:08
up to 20° but it's still going to be
17:10
warm it's going to get up to 16° they've
17:12
changed it to now uh here in Sheffield
17:15
so that is still warm but hopefully it's
17:18
going to be a fantastic day at the
17:20
allotment tomorrow and hopefully we'll
17:22
get plenty done and I was only saying to
17:25
someone the other day
17:26
it's hopefully soon will start getting
17:29
them allotment Tans again if you've got
17:31
an allotment you'll know why because
17:33
you've got a constant tan through summer
17:35
because you spend that much time in the
17:36
allotment it might not necessarily be
17:38
hot but over time you'll get a nice
17:41
Brown Golden color and no it's not the
17:43
soil it's not mcky it is an actual tan
17:47
but yeah uh I'll certainly be spending
17:49
all my time down at the allotment
17:51
throughout summer if possible whenever I
17:54
can and I'm just looking forward to how
17:56
good it's going to look my plot this
17:58
year I'm putting so much effort into it
18:01
and so much time that I do want it to
18:03
succeed this year and I want it to be
18:05
bountiful and be a good harvest but
18:08
we'll have to put in that time and
18:10
effort first to get it like we should
18:12
and hopefully it will return and give us
18:16
the best produce that we've had
18:18
grown I I've had some great produce over
18:21
this year don't uh put me down on that
18:24
but I could put a lot more time and
18:26
effort in if I wanted to and Hope y
18:29
fingers crossed we will be doing that
18:31
this year and hopefully we will get that
18:33
good return from the
18:35
allotment so hopefully we will be back
18:38
with another podcast tomorrow I thought
18:41
that my subscription had end today but
18:43
uh my last day of subscription is
18:45
Wednesday so hopefully we'll still get
18:47
an episode on Monday and Tuesday for you
18:51
uh before we du to pay his
18:53
bill and before we get cut off uh so
18:56
I'll be uploading as many episodes as I
18:58
can
18:59
before then so then you'll still keep
19:01
getting your podcasts and then I'll
19:02
renew it on Friday when I get paid
19:04
hopefully and hopefully we'll be able to
19:06
start recording the episodes again but
19:09
if I can't record the episodes I'll
19:11
pre-record them and I'll upload them all
19:13
on Friday for you to listen to as I know
19:16
people enjoy them and thanks for all
19:18
those that are listening to these
19:20
podcasts it does make me smile and if
19:23
you've not clicked that subscribe button
19:24
yet please do click that subscribe
19:26
button I do watch how many subscri
19:28
subscribers we've got and it's good to
19:30
see it going up every single day and
19:33
keep sharing it share it with people as
19:35
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19:37
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next time remember keep smiling keep
19:57
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19:59
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20:02
you for listening to today's episode of
20:04
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