March is a wonderful time of year in the garden, as the bounty of life all around us begins to emerge once again. With the trees beginning to bud into leaf and perennials breaking through into our borders, it certainly feels like our gardens are waking up.

As we, too, begin to emerge once more into our gardens in earnest, we may notice some plants that have not made it through the winter or that there is simply a little more space calling out for a few new plants. If this is the case, perhaps consider getting some plants that will please the pollinators as much as yourself.

A favourite nectar source for bees and butterflies

Hellebores are a great early food source for bumblebees as they awake from their winter hibernation. Ajuga is another plant which flowers from spring through to early summer that is a favourite nectar source for bees and butterflies; its creeping habit is great for ground cover planting.

As well as adding new plants into the garden, March is a perfect time to lift and divide perennials which you would like more of elsewhere in the garden. To do this, dig up the entire plant and prise it apart with two garden forks, then replant where desired.

A rewarding task for children to help with

Making a bird box is a great project to get stuck into and a rewarding task for children to help out with too. Birdhouses can be made in a variety of different shapes and sizes to suit different species or your creative preferences.

To make a classic looking nest box there are some easy to follow instructions with diagrams on the RSPB’s website – www.rspb.org.uk

You only need a small plank of wood – roughly 140cm (55in) x 15cm (6in) x 1.8cm (0.75in) – some screws/nails and a small piece of old rubber (e.g. a strip from of an old bicycle tyre inner tube). The site also provides some great advice on different size openings to attract different species, the best locations for nest boxes and how to attract birds to them.

Remember to drill some small drainage holes in the bottom of the box so it doesn’t get waterlogged.

As spring marks the start of the nesting season and we can still have quite cold weather in March, continue to offer bird feed in your garden – this might help to encourage some new neighbours in your latest garden DIY project.