Spring arrives once a year, and only stays fleetingly, so you need to grab the opportunities it presents with both hands. If you don’t feel happy yet, aren’t singing out loudly and are still wondering what to plant… don your gardening clothes and get going with these spring tips!

1. Spring specials
Most nurseries will now be stocked to the brim with special offers for spring. Take advantage of cheaper prices.

2. New releases
Invest in some plants you have never tried before. Experiment a little too. You might be pleasantly surprised…

3. Fill in the gaps
Buy some bulk packs of Lobularia (alyssum or honey flower) and sow the seeds all over your garden. They germinate fast and well and the subtle fragrance of their flowers will delight you all summer. The plants will self-seed year after year.  A good combination to fill up the spaces between paving blocks is white Lobularia, dark blue Lobelia and SAGINA subulata ‘Aurea’.

4. Colour up
Fill dull spots in rose beds with spring flowering VIOLA odorata ‘The Czar’ (sweet violet). This hardy, evergreen and fast-growing ground cover will reward you with deep purple, fragrant flowers.

5. Cover up
Plant rambling THUNBERGIA ‘Orange with eye’ (black-eyed Susan) against a fence or trailing over an old tree stump. There are few more rewarding sights than the bright orange flowers with the black centre.

6. Petit roses for small gardens
Pick a sunny spot, invest in some smart pots and play around with old fashioned ramblers like ‘My Granny’, miniatures like ‘Ocarina’, hedging roses like ‘Little Pink Hedge’ or the modern Poulsen roses which include Palace®, Patiohit® And Towne & Country®, all bred with smaller spaces and pots in mind. The well-known Rosa ‘Flower Carpet’, available in different colours, is known not to disappoint either…

7. Plant a hugging tree
ACACIA xanthophloea (fever tree) comes to mind, but CAESALPINIA ferrea (leopard tree) is no slouch either when it comes to beauty and a fast growth tempo. If tree hugging is not your game but tree planting is then plant any indigenous tree that loves your climate!

8. Grasses are fashionable
Grassy gardens are one of the gardening trends for 2007! If you cannot be deliriously happy with only masses of waving plumes and some grassy hybrids like CAREX comans ‘Bronze’, with its rusty brown (and, to some, ‘dead-looking’) foliage, combine them with flowers and even succulents like Echeveria or the large ‘pig’s ears’ supplied by KALANCHOE thyrsiflora. Think up a whimsical planting scheme including grasses and grass-like plants such as Carex ‘Autumn Glow’, ARISTIDA junciformis, GAURA lindheimeri (angel wings), TULBAGHIA violacea (wild garlic) and GOMPHOSTIGMA virgatum (river stars) plus lavenders and the most beautiful basil of them all: OCIMUM basilicum ‘High Hopes’.

9. Plant things to eat
Living off the land is another trend, even if you start small with a pot full of parsley or trailing miniature tomatoes and a patch of bright nasturtiums covering an untidy plot – all grow easily and add taste and colour to ordinary salads.

10. Succulent summer figs
If you have decided to plant a fig tree (FICUS carica) for fruit this spring you are totally “in”.  All the well-known hybrids like ‘Adam’, ‘Black Velvet’, Cape Brown’ or ‘White Genoa’ are easy to keep alive.

11. Home-made olive tapenade
Plant olive trees! These hardy and beautiful trees can tolerate very cold temperatures. Good varieties are ‘Manzanilla’, ‘Mission’ and ‘Spanish Queen’. Olive trees are not only functional, they become really pretty shade trees that blend well within any planting scheme or garden design.

12. Fruit trees in pots
Owners of small gardens can also dabble in the business of fruit tree growing. The x Citrofortunella microcarpa (Calamondin or miniature orange) is a cross between a naartjie and a kumquat. This ornamental (and useful) citrus tree bears sweetly scented white flowers followed by small, acidic fruit that ripens in July and can be used to make marmalade (and an excellent liqueur!).

13. Lavenders – all-time favourites
They flower shamelessly in spring and again in autumn. There are so many varieties to choose from – dot different varieties around the garden or plant them up in pots and make a collection.

14. Learn one new gardening skill
Teach yourself to take cuttings of plants like lavender, geranium, daisies and herbs that need to be replaced with fresh stock now and again. It is not only rewarding to grow your own, but it will also save you money.

15. Buy economical indigenous perennials
DIETES grandiflora (wild iris), DIERAMA pendulum (hairbells), CHASMANTHE floribunda, CHLOROPHYTUM ‘Gold Nugget’ (miniature hen and chickens) and BULBINE abyssinica (yellow cat’s tail) all grow fast, form thick clumps and will be ready to divide into more plants next autumn.

16. Tame a steep slope
Use ground covers that bind the soil fast and cheaply. The best is CARPOBROTUS edulis (sour fig) and PLECTRANTHUS neochilus. Both can be established easily by planting dense rows of unrooted cuttings.

17. Pot up some daisies
The Argyranthemums (marguerites or daisy bushes) are spring favourites as they flower best in temperate weather. There are lots to choose from; collect them all and plant them in cheap clay pots on a sunny patio to create a portable daisy garden.

18. Dig up the lawn
Still struggling to grow a lush lawn under a particularly shady tree? Stop the constant battle and plan something else. Dig out the patchy lawn, put down some weed control fabric and use a few stepping-stones and lots of decorative gravel to create a lovely shady spot in which to relax. Lush and groomed lawns are for sun and trees are for people to sit under.

19. Beautiful bush lilies
A plant for deeply shaded areas that will never disappoint is the indigenous CLIVIA miniata (bush lily). It will grow in deep shade amongst the roots of large trees and a group of them is a truly spectacular sight in spring when the large, bright orange, trumpet-shaped flowers appear.

20. Boring patio?
Too broke to afford a completely new look? Take the cheaper (and easier) route, and ‘dolly up’ just one wall with paint and some wall pots. Pick the brightest shade you can handle and paint both the wall and a few old pots in the vicinity with this same colour.  Ask your handyman to make a few iron rings big enough to attach some smallish clay pots to the wall, then fill the pots with young HELICHRYSUM petiolare.

21. Plant for the cold
After the ravages of one of the coldest winters we have endured for a long time, gardens will demand extra care and attention this spring season. Plants that are classified as ‘marginal’ in respect of cold hardiness always end up being affected just as they seem to gain maturity and, having previously defied all odds, their demise is then so much more disappointing. When selecting new plants to replace those damaged beyond recovery keep the cold in mind and apply the old principle of find what grows well and plant lots of them.

22. Invest in fragrance
Fragrant plants in the garden stimulate the olfactory senses and are an integral part of the whole spring atmosphere. Plant scented trees and shrubs close to the home to enhance this very special garden experience. Three spring-flowering scented plants to try are CHOISYA ternata, OSMANTHUS fragrans and MICHELIA figo, all rather old-fashioned but still well worthwhile planting, even in today’s modern gardens.

23. Start planting early
Seedlings for the summer flower and vegetable garden need to be planted out as early as possible in spring to use the new growing season to full advantage.

24. Time your pruning
Prune back many spring flowering shrubs immediately after they have finished blooming. Examples of these include Spiraea, Weigela, Deutzia, Philadelphus, Tetradenia and Holmskoldia. This allows them the maximum growing time to form new growth and set flower buds for the following spring season.

25. Practise regular feeding
Feed and fertilise throughout the growing season. Use products that are best suited to your gardens need's.  Apply at the recommended application rates at the specified frequencies. The key to growing healthy plants is to maintain a constant level of growth activity on a continuous basis and regular feeding enables this.

26. Check for lily borer
Check all those plants in your garden that are members of the Amaryllis family to make sure there are no lily borers lurking. These caterpillars eat the core of the stems of Agapanthus, Crinums, Clivias, Hippeastrums and all the other members of the family. Treat immediately with a suitable insecticide, preferably one that does the least damage to other life forms. Grovida Dipel Caterpillar Wise and Margaret Roberts Biological Caterpillar Insecticide are two options.

27. Long lasting colour
ROSA Flower Carpet ‘Coral’ var.NOAla (N) is a fantastic garden plant that performs well throughout our country. Masses of single blooms smother the wide spreading shrubs for months on end.

28. Go regal
Purchase PELARGONIUM Regal Hybrids now whilst they’re in full bloom. They are certainly the aristocrats of the Pelargonium family with their clusters of large flowers in a multitude of bright colours, often with two or three contrasting shades on a single bloom.

29. Update the way you water
New products are coming out all the time. This spring, update your old sprinkler system with something new, like this great sprinkler attachment from Gardena and, for the thirsty garden beds, install an irrigation system.

30. Hedges for verandas
A trimmed lavender hedge makes this veranda a cosy space while still having the benefit of seeing the view beyond. Fragrance and colour are an added pleasure.

31. Start a new hobby
Learn the art of mosaic and transform birdbaths, tables and pots into works of art. Buy a book or take a few lessons – you’ll be surprised at how easy it is and at how your stress levels decrease whilst you’re doing it.

32. The big clean up
Over time dirt gets stuck on pavers – invest in a pressure cleaner and put the ‘sparkle’ back into your hard landscaping areas. They are also great for cleaning tiled roofs.

33. Trees for colour
If you want masses of pink flowers in summer then the fantastic CALODENDRUM capense (Cape Chestnut) is the tree to plant this spring. It grows up to 20m in nature, but will be smaller if cultivated. It is ideal for coastal and frost-free areas.

34. Paint and pots
If your patio furniture has taken a beating, liven it up with a coat of paint. A potted plant in a contrasting colour will also brighten up the area.

35. Great idea
Keep the lawn out of flowerbeds by adding Perma Edge’s steel, interlocking edging product. It can be bent to follow the contours of your beds, can be reused and can be installed low enough to be mown over.

36. What’s around the corner?
Make someone want to go down the pathway to see where it leads.

37. Have a picnic
Dust off the picnic set and the recipes and go out and enjoy your garden.

38. Hose help
Keep things neat with a stylish hose tidy.

39. For cat lovers
Use a bird feeder on a long pole to keep the birds out of the cat’s reach.

40. Invite friends in
Make a statement at the garden gate and give your friends something to talk about.

41. A vegetable garden with a difference
If you are short on space or only have a balcony on which to garden, grow vegetables in pots and group them together on a table for easy access.

42. Spring herb tips
Sow salad herbs like basil, rocket, chives, dill and chervil. Divide up sorrel, lemon grass and yarrow and replant. Cut down lemon balm, mint and salad burnet to encourage good new growth. Replace herbs that died during winter.

43. Pumps and filters
Spring is a great time to clean pumps and filters and to check if any parts need replacing.

44. Try new seed varieties
Look out for the launch of new seed varieties and try them. This month try MayFord’s Mariana tomatoes.

45. Buy some worms!
A worm bin or wormery is a great way to recycle kitchen waste. The worms will turn it into great organic fertiliser for your garden and you’ll be doing a little bit to help reduce global warming.

46. Use the scenery beyond
A tall fence covered with splendid roses has the added bonus of a view beyond to the magnificent scenery

47. Raise your beds
Raised vegetable beds provide easy access to your crops, especially if the paths in between the beds are paved, and their neat and tidy appearance makes them an asset to any garden.

48. Step across the lawn
Stepping stones across a lawn can be sunk slightly below the level of the grass to make mowing easier.

49. Change the look
Boundary walls can look bleak without plants nearby. Like the ivy planted next to this wall, cascading plants with pretty leaves can help break the bleakness.

50. Be water smart
When water supplies are at a premium, water-wise plants and a ‘river’ of pebbles provide an attractive alternative to the 'real' thing.