Monty Don’s March focus: shrubs over seed packets

As garden centres stack their shelves with colourful seed packets, the well-known TV gardener Monty Don poses an awkward question: why start from seed every year when a single shrub can reshape a garden for many years to come? In March, his attention is not on delicate seedlings, but on sturdy woody shrubs that form a garden’s backbone.

Why Monty Don in March chooses shrubs instead of seed packets

In British television, Monty Don has long been seen as a calm, trusted voice for home gardeners. When spring arrives, his message is straightforward: if you do just one job in the garden now, plant a woody shrub - and feel free to leave a few seed packets untouched.

"A single well-placed shrub can give more structure than ten pots of summer flowers."

What makes March a good time to plant woody shrubs

His reasoning is that many gardens reach a turning point in March. The soil begins to thaw, the days noticeably lengthen, and the worst frosts have usually passed. In that brief window, newly planted shrubs can put down roots steadily, before top growth properly gets going.

Why shrubs last longer than annual seed

While annual seed can be over and done with after a single season, shrubs stay for years - often for decades. They:

• create privacy and provide a frame for borders

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