March is here, and with it arrives the sweet spot in New Zealand’s gardening calendar. The frantic heat of February has backed off, and the ground is still holding onto the summer warmth enough that we can get away with a few things. For anyone looking at landscaping projects, this is your golden window. It’s the time when you can get some heavy landscaping work done without melting in the sun, and your plants also have an excellent chance of settling before the winter frost arrives.
If you’re after a magazine-worthy garden by next summer, then the heavy lifting needs to start now. So, let’s get specific. Here are the best projects for March gardening in NZ, so you can tackle your best garden renovation ideas while the weather is on your side.
Project #1: Hardscaping.
If your landscaping plans involve anything structural (think building retaining walls, laying new pavers, or installing a deck), March is the time to strike. Once the real autumn rains arrive in April and May, the ground in many parts of New Zealand turns into a bit of a bog.
Digging footings or moving heavy materials becomes twice as hard (and twice as messy) in the mud. By getting your hardscaping done now, you ensure the “bones” of your garden are set while the soil is still firm and easy to work with. Plus, it gives you a clean, dry area to work from when you start your planting phase in late autumn.
Project #2: Reset your lawn.
Let’s be honest: after the summer we’ve had, most Kiwi lawns are looking a bit “crispy.” March is the absolute best month for a lawn renovation. The cooling air temperatures reduce the risk of your new grass frying, but the soil is still warm enough to trigger fast germination.
Whether you are patching a few brown spots or starting from scratch with a full re-sow, the key is to get the seed in the ground now. This gives the grass enough time to establish a deep root system before the winter growth lull. If you wait until May, the ground might be too cold, and you’ll likely end up with more weeds than grass come spring.
Project #3: Planting for the future.
One of the best garden renovation ideas for March is to get your “big” plants in the ground. Trees, hedges, and large shrubs love being planted in early autumn. In the summer, the heat puts too much stress on a new plant’s root system. In the winter, the roots often just sit in cold, wet soil and struggle to grow.
In March, the roots can start moving into the warm soil immediately. By the time spring rolls around, these plants will have already spent six months getting comfortable, meaning they’ll hit their first growth spurt with far more vigour than something planted in the middle of October.
What should you be planting in March?
- Hedges, allowing their roots to establish before winter drops in.
- Fruit trees, especially citrus, so they can get settled in.
- Native shrubs, which reduce the need for constant watering year-round.
Project #4: Get ready for winter.
It’s not the most glamorous of landscaping projects, but assessing your garden’s drainage in March is a move your future self will thank you for. Take a look at where the water naturally pools after a light autumn shower.
This is the perfect time to install French drains, soak pits, or simply re-contour your garden beds to ensure water flows away from your house and your precious plants. Dealing with drainage issues now is a lot easier than trying to fix a mini-lake in the middle of a July downpour.
Project #5: Settle into a consistent maintenance routine.
While garden renovation ideas stand to yield some gorgeous results in March, one of the best things you can do at this time of year is more foundational. If you put energy into building a consistent maintenance routine as part of your March gardening in NZ, you’ll set yourself up for success all year.
This is especially important if you have a few landscaping projects in the works, as a well-maintained garden will be much easier for your professional landscapers to work on. To nail your routine, you’ve got two options:
Build a checklist for yourself.
Once your landscaping projects are complete, it might pay to make a list of regular maintenance tasks to keep your newly installed landscaping features clear and distinct. Garden renovation ideas are fantastic in the short-term, but it’s the long-term care you can put into them that really makes them shine years down the road!
Rely on professionals to tackle it for you.
Partnering with a team of professional gardeners and landscapers to manage your March gardening in NZ is a great way to save a whole lot of Sundays. Not to mention, if you’re already bringing in landscapers for a change-up, it’s worth using the same team to maintain the results once done.
In general, we believe that March is all about building momentum. While that summer holiday vibe has faded, there’s a fresh energy in the air; an ideal atmosphere for landscaping projects to shine. So, tackle your hardscaping, reset your lawn, prepare for winter, plant for the winter, and build a maintenance checklist to keep it all going.
Build the garden of your dreams with Paramount Gardening.
We are your elite property care partners, here to bring your garden renovation ideas to life. Get in touch with our team today to discuss your landscaping and gardening projects, or tackle your March gardening in NZ.
