This month promises to be one of the busiest for us gardeners. We can now get down to planting bedding plants such as geraniums, buzy lizzies, petunias, salvias, antirrhinums and begonias in the garden and also in tubs, containers, window boxes and hanging baskets. Always protect bedding plants from frost damage by covering with something like garden fleece if the weather man brings bad news but frosts are less likely once we get into June. If you have a greenhouse, baskets and containers can be planted much earlier and then moved outside towards the end of the month. As an alternative to bedding plants containers can be planted with alpines, grasses, small shrubs and conifers. In the garden, dahlias, cannas and the rest of the gladioli can be planted. Seeds of godetia, nigella, clarkia and candytuft can be sown direct where they are to be grown.

In the vegetable garden brassicas can be sown and runner beans, courgettes and marrows can be planted later in the month. Salad crops such as radishes should be sown at regular intervals to get a succession of supply. Early potatoes should soon be ready to dig.

Container-grown trees and shrubs, herbaceous plants, roses and climbers can be planted but it is now too late to plant bare-root hedging plants such as quickthorn. The early flowering shrubs can be pruned as soon as they have flowered and and bulbs should be dead-headed once they have flowered and given a sprinkling of fertilizer to build up their bulbs for next year.

Roses will need to be sprayed every couple of weeks with something like Rose Clear, to prevent black spot and mildew. Lawns need to be cut regularly and should be fed this month if not done already. Keep regularly hoeing the garden to make sure the weeds don’t get a hold and protect seedlings and plants such as hosta against slug damage. Herbaceous plants will need to be staked and all plants will need to be watered in dry spells.

The Royal Horticultural Society is 200 years old this year. The Post Office is marking this with special flower stamps this month and the Chelsea Flower Show from 26-28 May will be a very special event. Tickets can be obtained by calling 0870 9063781. The Malvern Spring Gardening Show is from 7-9 May and the Hertfordshire Garden Show at Knebworth on 22 and 23 May. You can get lots of ideas by visiting local gardens open to the public this month: The Abbot House, Abbots Langley on 2 May, Ashridge Gardens on 16 May, Great Sarratt Hall on 23 May and Campden Cottage, Chesham Bois on 16 May. Terry Simmonds