A flower garden is a year-round job, but the work changes with the season, and knowing what to do when is most of the skill. Spring is for planting and feeding; summer is for deadheading, watering, and cutting; autumn is for clean-up, bulb planting, and lifting tender plants; winter is for pruning roses, planning, and ordering seed. A garden that gets the right job at the right time will look after itself for the rest of the year, while a garden that misses the autumn clean-up will start the spring already fighting last year's diseases.
This guide is a seasonal calendar for the flower garden, built around the frost dates and the flowering cycle. It is a framework to adapt to your own garden and climate — your local extension service can give you the frost dates and the timing for your area, and our flowers temperature guide explains the temperature rules behind the calendar.
Spring: planting, feeding and the first flowers
Spring begins when the soil can be worked without sticking to the spade. Clear away the dead perennial foliage left over winter, and compost it if it is healthy or bin it if it is diseased. Feed perennials and roses as growth starts, with compost or a balanced fertilizer, as our flowers fertilizing guide explains. Prune roses before growth starts, and divide overcrowded perennials. Start tender annuals indoors — zinnias, marigolds, and dahlias — four to six weeks before the last frost, as our flowers seed starting guide explains, and sow hardy annuals outdoors. Plant out the hardened-off seedlings after the last frost, and direct-sow sunflowers, nasturtiums, and cosmos. The first flowers of the year — tulips, daffodils, and crocus — are already in bloom, so enjoy them, deadhead them when they fade, and leave their leaves to die back naturally. Spring is the busiest season in the flower garden, and it sets the tone for the whole year.
Summer: deadheading, watering and cutting
Summer is the season of maintenance. Deadhead little and often — a ten-minute pass with snips every few days keeps zinnias, dahlias, marigolds, and roses flowering for months, as our flowers pruning guide explains. Water in the morning at the base of the plants, and water deeply rather than often, so the roots grow down. Feed container flowers weekly and roses after their first flush. Cut flowers for the house in the morning, and cut deep into the plant so it branches and reflowers — our flowers harvesting guide covers the technique. Watch for pests: check rose buds for aphids weekly, check dahlias for slugs after rain, and remove any diseased leaves as soon as you see them. Succession-sow a second batch of zinnias or cosmos in early summer so they come into flower as the first batch fades. And take time to enjoy the garden — summer is the reward for the spring's work.
Autumn: bulbs, clean-up and lifting tender plants
Autumn is the season that decides next spring. Plant tulips, daffodils, and crocus as the soil cools, and plant them in drifts rather than in rows. Lift dahlias after the first frost blackens their foliage, dry the tubers, and store them frost-free. Cut peonies down to the ground and remove the stems, since botrytis overwinters on them. Rake up fallen rose leaves and bin them rather than composting them, because black spot overwinters in them. Stop feeding roses and tender perennials so their growth hardens before winter. Sow hardy annuals such as sweet peas in autumn in mild climates, and plant bare-root roses while the soil is still warm. Mulch the beds with compost once the ground is cold. The autumn clean-up is the single most valuable disease-prevention job of the year, as our flowers disease prevention guide explains, and it is worth doing thoroughly even when the weather is uninviting.
Winter: pruning, planning and seed ordering
Winter is the quiet season, and the work is mostly indoors. Prune roses and woody shrubs while they are dormant, in late winter before growth starts. Clean and oil your tools, and repair or replace anything that is worn. Order seed and plan the year's planting — the seed catalogues arrive in winter for a reason, and the best varieties sell out early. Check the stored dahlia tubers once a month and remove any that have rotted. If the ground is not frozen, plant bare-root roses and shrubs. Leave the seed heads of sunflowers, coneflowers, and teasels standing for the birds, and leave the hollow stems of perennials for overwintering insects. Winter is also the time to take stock: what flowered well, what failed, what to grow more of, and what to drop. A few notes made in winter, while the season is fresh in your memory, are worth more than a dozen good intentions in spring.
A month-by-month rhythm
The calendar in brief: January and February, plan and prune roses; March, feed, divide, and sow indoors; April, sow hardy annuals and plant out after the last frost; May, plant out tender annuals and direct-sow; June, deadhead, water, and succession-sow; July, cut flowers, watch for pests, and feed containers; August, deadhead, collect seed, and order bulbs; September, plant bulbs and stop feeding roses; October, lift dahlias, cut peonies, and rake up leaves; November, mulch and plant bare-root roses; December, rest and plan. The exact months shift with your climate — a garden in a warm area will be a month ahead of this calendar, and a garden in a cold one a month behind — so use your own frost dates as the anchor and adjust from there. Your local extension service can give you the dates for your area, and after a few years your own notes will be the best calendar you have.
Adapting the calendar to your climate
No calendar fits every garden. A garden in a mild, frost-free climate has no last frost to wait for and can sow tender annuals almost year-round, but it may struggle to grow tulips, which need winter cold. A garden in a cold climate has a short summer and must start everything indoors, but it grows peonies and delphiniums superbly. A garden in a hot, dry climate must water more, mulch more, and give afternoon shade to flowers that are full sun elsewhere. The principles in this guide — plant after frost, deadhead through summer, clean up in autumn, prune in winter — hold everywhere, but the dates move. Learn your own garden's rhythm, keep notes, and do not be discouraged if the first year is imperfect: a flower garden improves every year as the soil improves and you learn what grows well where you live. If you are unsure about a diagnosis, a product, or a local rule, check your local extension service — its advice is tailored to your soil, climate, and the pests and diseases active in your area.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do in the flower garden in spring?
Clear dead foliage, feed perennials and roses, prune roses before growth starts, sow tender annuals indoors, and plant out after the last frost.
When should I plant bulbs?
In autumn, as the soil cools. Tulips, daffodils, and crocus are all planted in autumn for spring flowering.
When do I lift dahlias?
After the first frost blackens their foliage in autumn. Dry the tubers and store them frost-free over winter.
Should I cut back perennials in autumn?
Wait until the foliage has yellowed. Cut peonies to the ground in autumn, and leave other perennials until spring if you prefer, as shelter for insects.
What do I do in the flower garden in winter?
Prune roses while dormant, clean tools, order seed, plan the year, and check stored dahlia tubers monthly.