The clocks have gone forward and April is upon us; I can’t wait for the longer, lighter evenings to get stuck in to the backlog of tasks in my garden. For me, many of these aren’t even horticultural, and involve shifting rubble, painting garden furniture and tackling slippery decking, but all of them will contribute to my enjoyment of the garden as a whole.
Be prepared for very changeable weather; I was gardening in short-sleeves last week, and yesterday I got snowed on. You may notice the garden centres stocking up on summer bedding plants. Don’t be tempted to invest in them just yet though, unless you can protect them inside a frost-free greenhouse.
Here’s the plan for my garden this month:
Sow hardy annuals
For those of us residing ‘oop north’, it’s best to wait until later in the month before sowing hardy annuals in situ. We have a lot of heavy clay in our garden, which takes longer to warm up than sandier soils, so I’ll be waiting a little longer.
I failed miserably to sow my sweet peas either in the autumn or indoors, so I will just sow them straight into the ground instead. This year I will remember to erect some supporting netting, before sowing.
Pruning
Now is the time to prune silver-leaved shrubs like lavender – once they have reached the desired size. Annual pruning every spring helps to keep them bushy and compact, but don’t cut into old wood.
I have a Cotinus coggygria (smoke bush), which gets its best colour from new foliage, so it’s a good idea to prune lightly to stimulate new growth. Leave a few longer and stronger stems intact, to maintain its structure.
Cotinus coggygria - Smoke Bush
Fruit and Veg
Later this month, I will be sowing my fruit and veg seeds; carrots and peas directly outside, and the French beans, courgettes and tomatoes in pots indoors. I have five first-early potatoes chitting on the windowsill, destined for my old Manchester City Council Kerb-it recycling box. I will leave plenty of space in order to be able to keep covering the new foliage with compost. This encourages the development of more tubers.
Other jobs
Dead-head the daffodils, leaving the foliage until it turns yellow. Keep the borders free of weeds, and plant any summer or autumn-flowering bulbs such as gladioli, dahlias and cannas, in a sunny well-drained location.
It’s a busy month – there’s plenty to be done – but I’ll keep you posted!
Enjoying the bright new foliage on my Pieris, alongside the pink tulips in my front garden