April’s almost upon us, and gardening in April is a real pleasure. With the darkest days of winter gone and the lighter nights arriving, we finally remember the joys of the garden in spring. So much so that we’ve even been out to tackle the weeds this week!
Suddenly all around us are gardens, parks and verges covered in blooming daffodils, crocuses and bluebells, making it hard to drag ourselves back to the mundane tasks that need our attention in the garden – there are far too many pleasing distractions at this time of year!
Luckily our gardening experts are here with a handy list of the jobs we should be tackling now.
Gardening Jobs for April
- Spring flowering favourites such as Daffodils and Tulips can be deadheaded to remove fading blooms and encourage further bursts of flowers to come through.
- Get planning perennial garden displays for this summer and order your perennial and shrubs now. Planting as soon as possible allows roots to establish quicker. Try adding some organic matter such as manure to the roots on planting to enrich the roots fully, helping to make them more sturdy plants later on.
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- Plant roses now for maximum colour and character in summer. Try the Queen Elizabeth Rose for that royal feel – it’s one of our favourites.
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- Climbing plants and taller plants should be staked for support, as they now become larger and heavier.
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- Hosta plants can be divided in the border now before flowers begin to appear.
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- Get buying bedding and basket plants now, as April’s the optimum time for planting to allow them extra time to establish for the summer. Summer basket and bedding favourites like Surfinia, Million Bells, Petunia, and Geranium Grandeur are now available to order online.
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- Control Pests – the first green shoots of new growth are very susceptible to damage from slugs and snails. Container grown plants can be protected by copper rings around pots. Slug pellet application is always effective, however a gravel barrier or border can also be a natural deterrent.
- Weeds will also become an increasing problem with the improving weather, so keep those under control in order to make the garden more manageable.It’s not the most enjoyable of jobs, we know, but it simply must be done!
Fingers crossed for some more spring sunshine, which should make even the most mundane of tasks that little bit more enjoyable and really bring out those garden colours as they begin to break through!
Alex Corlett I am the "Friend's" Features Editor, working with the talented Features Team to bring you everything from cryptic crosswords to financial advice, knitting patterns to international travel and inspirational real life stories. Always on the hunt for a new feature idea, I also enjoy cycling and love a good tea room.
