Devon


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1333" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Emily-Ings-Co-Head-Gardener-harvesting-cut-flowers-for-display-in-Sharpham-House-02.jpg" alt="Emily Ings co-head gardener at Sharpham Trust Devon" class="wp-image-84322" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Emily-Ings-Co-Head-Gardener-harvesting-cut-flowers-for-display-in-Sharpham-House-02.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Emily-Ings-Co-Head-Gardener-harvesting-cut-flowers-for-display-in-Sharpham-House-02-600x800.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Emily-Ings-Co-Head-Gardener-harvesting-cut-flowers-for-display-in-Sharpham-House-02-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Emily-Ings-Co-Head-Gardener-harvesting-cut-flowers-for-display-in-Sharpham-House-02-768x1024.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Emily Ings Co-head Gardener at Sharpham Trust  Credit Sharpham Trust </figcaption></figure>



<p>Sun&#8217;s out, and everything in the garden is growing like crazy &#8211; including the weeds! So, we tapped Emily, Co-Head Gardener of <a href="https://www.sharphamtrust.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Sharpham Trust</a>, Devon&#8217;s internationally renowned retreat centre, for tips on what&#8217;s she&#8217;s up to in Sharpham beautiful gardens, veg plots, orchards and grounds. Emily started her growing journey on a traineeship at an organic farm and has since worked in everything from market gardening to floristry, and in diverse environments, including historic gardens and newly-established growing spaces. As you&#8217;d expect, she loves working in harmony with the environment, so if you love Nature and wildlife, she&#8217;s your gal.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-sow-seed-in-succession">1/ Sow seed in succession</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="750" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_seedlings01-1000x750.jpg" alt="seed sown in blocks at Sharpham Trst Devon " class="wp-image-84309" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_seedlings01-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_seedlings01-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_seedlings01-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_seedlings01.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sow every few weeks for fresh pickings all summer Credit Sharpham Trust </figcaption></figure>



<p>For me, this time of year is all about the excitement of sowing seeds for a new season of vegetables, cut flowers and ornamental plants, but I have found that it’s all too easy to go into sowing overdrive and suddenly realise that you need to find room for far too many plants! It’s important to remember to sow many of your seeds in smaller amounts in succession to ensure a steady supply of fresh veg and blooms throughout the season rather than sow all your seeds at once. This might mean sowing lettuces, radish and spring onions every few weeks from March until September for salads, or you might want to make two sowings of flowers such as Cosmos bipinnatus to get a second flush that could see you through until the first frost.</p>



<p>When you know the sowing window for a particular plant (often on the seed packet) you can space out your successions – for example we love to grow Helichrysum bracteatum for cut and dried flowers which you can sow from March until May, so we might make three sowings throughout that time to maximise our flower production.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-make-cut-backs">2/ Make cut backs</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_grapehyacinth01-1.jpg" alt="grape hyacinths in pots " class="wp-image-84311" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_grapehyacinth01-1.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_grapehyacinth01-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_grapehyacinth01-1-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_grapehyacinth01-1-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Don&#8217;t cut down bulb foliage too soon Credit Sharpham Trust </figcaption></figure>



<p>As herbaceous perennials burst into life now that the hours of daylight are lengthening and the soil is slowly warming, it’s time to clear any faded growth left over from last year, and any dead leaves that have gathered in the borders. Seedheads are great to leave in situ over the winter to provide food for seed-eating birds and then to provide habitat for insects – plus they add structural beauty to a winter garden, but once they become brittle it’s a good time to add them to your compost pile. Sometimes waiting too long to cut back old foliage means that you end up struggling to avoid cutting into the new season’s growth which can be difficult!</p>



<p>It’s important to remember not to cut down green foliage from bulbs even after the flowers have finished. If you want to tidy the plants you can coil the leaves, just take care not to cut them off while they’re still providing energy to the bulbs.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-mulch-and-feed">3/ Mulch and feed</h2>



<p>Now is a great time to top-dress garden beds and borders with a layer of mulch, which can help to suppress weed seedlings, help to slow down the nutrient leaching that can occur in heavy rain, add organic matter to the soil, and help to buffer the soil against temperature fluctuation. (Another benefit is that mulching makes a border look lovely!)</p>



<p>Mulching materials include compost, rotted straw and leaf mould. Our ornamental borders get a dressing of green waste compost each year, as well as well rotted leaf mould made from leaves raked from the woodland – this in particular is lovely, with the texture of moist chocolate cake! Our vegetable beds in the Walled Garden get a layer of beautiful homemade compost as well as green waste compost raked over the top of the soil before we begin planting.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-support-plants">4/ Support plants </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_supports02.jpg" alt="gourd supported on willow plant support at Sharpham Trust " class="wp-image-84310" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_supports02.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_supports02-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_supports02-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_supports02-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Woven willow and hazel make the most natural looking plant support Credit Sharpham Trust </figcaption></figure>



<p>It’s all too easy to imagine that there will be plenty of time for supporting tall or climbing plants when they’re big enough to need it – but in my experience it’s something that can easily be missed in the busyness of the late spring and summer, and once you’ve experienced the frustration of trying to prop upplants that can’t support their own weight you won’t think it’s too early to plan for! Plant supports can be as practical or as decorative as you like – I have used a wide array of materials, from Heris fencing to woven willow and all are equally useful and beautiful when covered in plants.</p>



<p>Ideally they should already be in place when you plant out – as well as their obvious benefit of providing a framework they also serve an aesthetic purpose: in a slow spring having structures in the garden is a greatvisual boon. There are some great guides for creating your own plant supports out there, I have used various techniques found in books on willow-weaving or on YouTube. This year we have been making willow supports for the ornamental borders and we will be using jute netting for our peas and hazel and bamboo for our climbing beans.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-forage">5/ Forage</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_primroses.jpg" alt="primroses in grass " class="wp-image-84317" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_primroses.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_primroses-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_primroses-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_primroses-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Do a foraging course at Sharpham to learn plants to pick for eating, like these pretty primroses Credit Sharpham Trust </figcaption></figure>



<p>Spring means an abundance of wild edibles that you can source for your dinner table, such as wild garlic, nettle tops and primrose flowers among many others. It’s really important to know exactly what you’re picking – there are some fantastic foraging courses and workshops out there &#8211; including at The Sharpham Trust &#8211; that can help you to correctly identify forage-worthy plants and to ensure that you are harvesting from them in an environmentally-sustainable way. </p>



<p>The chefs at Sharpham are enjoying the wild garlic we are lucky enough to have an abundance of here, and they love to dress their dishes with edible flowers. We&#8217;re just starting to add nettles to our harvest offer, which, as well as being a delicious and very nutrient-dense vegetable, makes a soothing tea when dried.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-6-create-a-pond-habitat">6/ Create a pond habitat</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1333" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_pond01.jpg" alt="pond at Sharpham Trust " class="wp-image-84318" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_pond01.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_pond01-600x800.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_pond01-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Sharpham-Trust_spring_garden_tips_by_Emily_Ings_mar26_pond01-768x1024.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ponds are full of life in spring Credit Sharpham Trust </figcaption></figure>



<p>If you don’t have a pond there is no time like the present to create one. Even a small pond or tub brings enormous benefit to the garden. As long as it has an easy way for wildlife to get in and out of the water and a plant or two to provide shelter, a pond will attract myriad creatures almost as soon as you make it.</p>



<p>It’s a great time to create habitats for the wildlife in and around a pond to provide protection for amphibians. Frogs will begin to emerge from the water in late spring and newts later in summer, so making a sheltered area for them is a great idea. Here at Sharpham we use piles of dead wood, stones and even old broken plant pots piled to one side of a pond to make a wildlife-friendly space.</p>



<p>Take care not to disturb the water too much as this is prime spawning time – the dead stems of aquatic plants can be cut down to just above the water level, but the pond itself should ideally be left alone until late in the year. Keep an eye out for dragonfly nymphs, which can stay in the water for 1-2 years or longer.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-7-take-notes-and-pictures">7/ Take notes and pictures</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="750" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Emily-Ings-Co-Head-Gardener-recording-produced-harvested-in-the-Walled-Garden-at-The-Sharpham-Trust-02-750x1000.jpg" alt="Emily Ings recording the harvest at Sharpham Trust " class="wp-image-84323" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Emily-Ings-Co-Head-Gardener-recording-produced-harvested-in-the-Walled-Garden-at-The-Sharpham-Trust-02-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Emily-Ings-Co-Head-Gardener-recording-produced-harvested-in-the-Walled-Garden-at-The-Sharpham-Trust-02-600x800.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Emily-Ings-Co-Head-Gardener-recording-produced-harvested-in-the-Walled-Garden-at-The-Sharpham-Trust-02-768x1025.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2026/03/Emily-Ings-Co-Head-Gardener-recording-produced-harvested-in-the-Walled-Garden-at-The-Sharpham-Trust-02.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Emily recording the harvest at Sharpham Trust Credit Sharpham Trust </figcaption></figure>



<p>I’m an avid picture-taker and really recommend keeping a visual diary of your garden. For certain jobs likerejuvenating a bed or pruning, remembering to take ‘Before’ and ‘After’ photos is great for that sense of satisfaction and to see the effect of your hard work. Keeping a record of what’s in bloom is also really helpful in the autumn – especially when planning your bulb planting and you can’t remember where you have gaps.</p>



<p>Keeping a notebook on hand is also very useful – we keep a weekly record of gardening jobs that we have undertaken which I often look back on when work-planning, and notes on crops and harvesting are invaluable especially if you like to experiment with new varieties. It’s very hard to remember exactly when you planted out, began to harvest and finished a crop after the fact, so being able to look over your notes later in the year makes things a little easier.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-8-the-most-important-thing-breathe">8/ The most important thing: Breathe!</h2>



<p>At this time of year I often feel like there is a very fine line between feeling too early or too late with so many garden jobs – especially sowing, and can start to feel springtime frenzy. So remember to breathe, to enjoy the spring and listen to the birdsong, to notice seedlings emerging, to feel the soil warming and see the blossom bringing the garden back to life.</p>



<p><em style="font-weight: bold">Fancy immersing yourself in some mindful gardening this spring? Emily is leading two<a href="https://www.sharphamtrust.org/mindfulness-retreats/details/garden-tour" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> garden tours</a> on 14 Jun</em>, <strong><em>plus Sharpham run dozens of courses throughout the year, including <a href="https://www.sharphamtrust.org/whatson" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Forage for Food &amp; Medicine </a>(10 May), plus <a href="https://www.sharphamtrust.org/whatson" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Connection</a> and <a href="https://www.sharphamtrust.org/whatson" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Woodland Retreats</a>.</em></strong></p>


National Gardening Week is here: 8 spring gardening jobs to get done now

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