It is a good idea to go out and have a wander around the garden to check for any areas which have been subjected to water logging. If the soil is not draining away readily then the problem can be solved in the following ways.

Firstly planting suitable species which thrive in wet soil conditions is the easiest but restricting way to solve the problem. Ideal plants which favour damp soil are alders, birch, poplars, willow and rowan for trees.

Shrubs include Aronia, Cornus (dogwoods), Hippophae, Physocarpus, Sambucus, Symphoricarpos (snowberry) and Viburnum opulus species, while conifer plants are limited to Metasequoia and Taxodium and Phyllostachys (bamboo) will be fine.

If these plants do not add enough variety to the border then it would be worth trying to divert the water away from the area by looking at the contour of the land and installing a French drain. A narrow trench needs to be dug about 40-50cm deep and a perforated drainage tube laid in the base. The trench will then be filled with gravel and finished off with good top soil and turf if installed into the lawn.

One of the most popular questions I am frequently asked is what to plant in heavy clay soil but it needs to be an evergreen plant which is suitable for hedging. The answer is "not much", but holly (Ilex) and holm oak (Quercus ilex) will grow if the soil is not sitting waterlogged.

People often want to plant yew (Taxus) in their garden. A word of warning about yew is that it will go brown very quickly in wet soil because the roots become waterlogged and rot off which will kill the plant. The only way to ensure its survival in heavy or wet soil would be to dig a deep trench, fill the bottom of the trench with gravel and backfill with excellent top soil.

Towards the end of March remember to prune varieties like Sambucus (elder), Cotinus (smoke bush) and Catalpa to encourage fresh new leaves. The dogwoods need to be cut back to 5-7cm from the ground to encourage the bright winter stem growth. Apply a feed and a generous layer of mulch to anything you prune to put some nutrients back into the soil. Also prune your roses including rambling, shrub, hybrid tea and floribunda varieties and large-flowered clematis varieties (groups 1 and 3) can be cut down to 45cm from the ground.

The strong winds may have caused some damage to trees. Always stake a newly planted tree if it is situated in a windy position. Make sure you check older stakes to see that they are firm and the tie is secure but not too tight around the stem. The stake should be positioned on the windward side to prevent the tree from rubbing against it. Always use a good stake and tie and not string or heavy duty tape as spending on the right equipment from the start will ensure a successful tree in the long term. If you're not sure about how best to plant new tree or shrub, please see our Planting Guide.

Checking containers for water logging is important to do as corrections can be made in the spring. The first telltale sign is when the bottom of the pot starts turning green around the base. The pots need to be raised off the ground using pot feet to allow the water to trickle out of the drainage hole at the bottom. Ideally ‘crocks’ should have been put in the bottom of the pot so try and repot the plant in the spring if there weren’t any. Top dress any container plants to provide them with nutrients for the new growing season. Feed them with a slow release fertilizer and replace the top surface of soil with fresh compost.

Plants to brighten up March are:

• The hardy evergreen lesser periwinkle (Vinca), which is fantastic for groundcover in dry shade.
• The flowering quince (Chaenomeles) is a spreading shrub that can be trained up a wall or fence.
• Watch out for the blossom of flowering cherry trees and magnolias to mark the first signs of spring.