In winter the garden sleeps, and if you want it green and flowering by summer, work should start at the end of winter. In February you can walk the plot and sort out your tools, and as soon as the hard frosts are over, move on to beds, lawn and pruning.
Spring weather is fickle, with thaws alternating with late frosts, so time sowing and planting by the weather rather than the calendar alone. Here is a sequence of jobs so nothing gets missed.
What you will need
Important: Do not spray lubricants onto plants or soil. After treating cutting tools, wipe off the excess with a dry cloth, especially if you will use them on vegetables, fruit or herbs.
Step 1
Assess the garden
Walk round the plot and see what survived the winter and what did not. Do not be too quick to throw out plants that look dead: some recover after a good watering, others just need pruning and feeding.
Gently firm back into the soil any plants lifted by frost. Clear last year's leaves, weeds and debris to reduce the risk of fungal disease and let the soil breathe.
Step 2
Get your garden tools ready
Check that everything works, look for rust and test whether shears and blades are sharp. Clean off dirt, remove light surface rust and treat the metal parts and pivots of secateurs and shears with WD-40 Multi-Use: it protects against corrosion and restores a smooth action.
Lubricate hedge trimmer blades with WD-40 Specialist Silicone, which reduces friction and protects against moisture. If a bolt or nut has seized over winter, WD-40 Specialist Penetrant will free it.
Step 3
Dig over the beds
If the beds were not dug in autumn, do it as soon as the soil has thawed and dried a little. Loosening heavy clay soils is especially important.
Rake the soil level and remove stones and weed roots. Let it rest for a few days so beneficial soil organisms become active again, then sow.
Step 4
Make the first sowings
Hardy crops such as onions, carrots, peas and radishes can go in early, once the soil has warmed. Keep to the recommended spacing, cover the seeds with soil and firm lightly so the first watering does not wash them away.
Plant tender crops only once the risk of night frost has passed.
Step 5
Prune trees, shrubs and hedges
After the last hard frosts, carry out formative and sanitary pruning of trees, roses and hedges. Prune spring-flowering plants after they have bloomed.
Pruning gives neighbouring plants more light and encourages even growth and flowering. For a large hedge, an electric hedge trimmer makes the job easier.
Step 6
Revive the lawn
Rake out dead grass and moss and take off the thatch layer with the first cut. If the lawn looks yellow, apply a spring fertiliser.
Aerate the soil, spread a layer of lawn topsoil, overseed bare patches, roll and water regularly until the seed germinates.
Tip: Keep a small garden diary: what you sowed and when, what survived the winter, which tools need replacing. Next spring your plan will be ready in advance.
What next
Clean your tools after every use, store them somewhere dry and treat the metal with WD-40 Multi-Use once a month. Before the first cut, get the lawn mower ready too: clean the deck and lubricate the wheels and cables.
These uses come from the experience of WD-40 users in many countries. Always follow the instructions and warnings on the product label.
More guides in «How to use».