We have the Easter holidays this month, time to spend just a little more time in the garden. The flowering cherries and crab apples plus a host of shrubs and bulbs should be filling the landscape with a mass of colour. When flowering has finished, it is time to prune most of the spring-flowering shrubs. As bulbs die down, the flower heads should be removed and a little fertilizer added to encourage the new bulb to grow ready for next year, but do not cut the leaves off until they begin to die down. Lawns should be cut at regular intervals now and a spring feed should be applied if not done during March. It is a good time of the year for laying turf or seeding new grass areas. It is also an ideal time to plant new perennials, alpines, climbers, trees, shrubs, roses and conifers but it’s getting a little late to move large shrubs unless container-grown. Herbaceous perennials can still be lifted and divided and taller growing plants should be provided with support. To help with moisture retention when the hot dry weather arrives, a good thick mulch should be put down around shrubs, trees and herbaceous plants and the addition of landscape fabric beneath the mulch will certainly help keep weeds down.
In the greenhouse it is time to sow tomatoes and cucumbers, peppers, runner beans, marrows and courgettes so that the plants will be ready for planting out when frosts cease at the end of May. Hanging baskets should be planted up now under glass. Use a good compost for these and add SwellGel to help retain moisture. In the garden centre you will find a good selection of plants suitable for baskets, pots and containers. It is getting a little late to sow bedding plants now, but fortunately plug-plants and starter-plants are still on sale and ready for potting up under glass. Hardy bedding plants and border plants can be sown directly in the ground this month and myosotis, Canterbury Bells and Sweet Williams can be planted.
In the vegetable garden seed potatoes can still be planted and those planted last month will soon need to be earthed up. Seeds of many vegetables can be sown this month and regular sowings of salad crops should continue. In the garden centre there is a bigger selection of vegetable plants this year ready for planting out. Herbs should also be planted now together with rhubarb and strawberry plants. Watch out at all times for slugs and do keep up with the weeding. Roses will need to be fed with Toprose fertilizer and they will need to be sprayed against mildew, rust and black-spot at about 3 week intervals.
The first big RHS show is at Cardiff from April 17-19 (tel: 0844 209 1681); the Malvern Spring Gardening Show is from May 7-10 (tel: 01684 548924) and the Chelsea Flower Show is from May 19-23 (tel: 0844 209 1681).
Terry Simmonds