The clocks have now changed and hopefully we shall be spending some fine evenings in the garden. Many of the jobs started in March can be carried on during April, but as the sap is now rising it is too late to plant bare-root plants with safety. This is the time to feed roses, trees and shrubs, herbaceous plants, soft fruit, hedges and climbing plants, especially clematis. Use a good general fertilizer such a Toprose or Vitax Q4, but for rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias use an ericaceous feed. Lawns need to be treated with a turf fertilizer such as Evergreen, Scotts or Aftercut. If moss is a problem, apply a good mosskiller or use a fertilizer which is a weedkiller and mosskiller. Make sure that the lawn is aerated and once the moss has died rake well or scarify the grass. Regularly cut the grass but not too short. April is a good month for laying new areas of turf or for sowing grass seed.
As soon as possible lift and divide perennials, replant, and provide support for taller-growing plants. The hardier bedding plants such as antirrhinums, pansies and violas can be planted but leave planting of geraniums, busy lizzies, begonias, fuchsias etc until the danger of frost has gone. The sooner hanging baskets and containers are planted the better, but this must be done in the glasshouse. There is still time to sow seeds of many of the bedding plants but this should be done under glass. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, marrows and courgettes can still be sown in the greenhouse. Outside it is time to sow cabbage, Brussels sprouts, peas, cauliflowers, leeks. lettuce, turnips, parsnips and spinach. Plant seed potatoes, asparagus and artichokes. Most herbs can be sown (except basil) also plant strawberries and most soft fruit.
Keep up with the weeding and look out for slugs and pests such as aphids. Buds on small fruit trees can be damaged by frosts and the use of garden fleece will help here. Now is the time to plant summer-flowering bulbs such as lilies and gladioli. Daffodils will be in flower now but as soon as the flowers die they should be dead-headed and a good fertilizer applied to help feed the bulb. Leave the leaves of daffodils for at least 6 weeks before cutting them down. Finally trim the winter heathers, prune early shrubs after flowering and start mulching.
The first big flower show of the season is the RHS at Cardiff from 16-18 April (tickets from 0844 209 1830 or rhs.org.uk/cardiff). The Malvern Spring Gardening show is from 6-9 May (tickets 01684 584924) and the Chelsea Show is from 25-29 May (tickets 0844 209 1830 or rhs.org.uk/chelsea).
Terry Simmonds