Gardener's Diary is a regular feature of Age-Net run by our Deputy Editor

Rosemary Martin

 

Finally the weather has warmed up and the flora and fauna is hurrying to catch up; I'm sure everywhere will soon be a blaze of colour and alive with the sounds of birdsong.

We were initially worried that many bird visitors to our garden had perished during the long, cold winter. But now the garden is alive with so many different varieties such as chaffinches, robins, goldinches, blackbirds and our prized visitors, two pairs of Bullfinches who live in a damson tree next to the kitchen window. See photo on the left.

A tour of the garden shows me that some plants might have perished, but I will wait a while before exhuming them, just in case they are still alive. If you are in any doubt about whether some shrubs are still alive, snap off a bit of a branch, or rub at the bark, and if the wood is green then it's still alive..

This month I will be explaining a bit about lawn care, and another very important subject that's worth a mention at this time of year, Safety in the Garden

 

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Jobs for the month - April

 

The Kitchen Garden section has now grown so big I have made a separate page for it, here

 

House plants

Increase watering and feed plants more frequently. You can still repot plants that have become root bound. Choose a warm, sunny day to stand larger specimens outside and give them a wash with the hose pipe on `fine spray`and let them dry before bringing them back inside. This is a job that can also be done in the summer on a rainy day.

 

Lawns

April and May are good months for sowing or laying new lawns and I have covered this, and lawn care in general, a little more extensively on a separate page. Give established lawns their first feed of the year.

 

Shrub borders and roses

Plant out dahlia tubers and sow hardy annuals where they are to flower. This is the time of year when I sow much of the seed I have previously collected from flowers such as miniature sunflowers and cornflowers. The flower borders will appreciate a mulching this month, which will help conserve moisture and stop weeds from growing. If you are using grass cuttings as a mulch, take care not to use the first three mowings after applying lawn feed as per the manufacturer`s instructions.

Paths, walls and fencing

There is still time to do any necessary repairs to winter damage before plant growth really gets going. Use a weedkiller such as Pathclear to kill grass and weeds on concrete areas for a whole season. Examine the supports for climbing plants and replace if necessary. Pressure clean paths or other ground areas that have become slippery with moss and algae. (Read instructions carefully on weedkiller packets if you have pets)

Greenhouse

Increase the amount of water given to plants but keep some gentle heat on in the greenhouse during the nights as frosts will still quickly kill your new seedlings, or you can cover them with horticultural fleece.. I sometimes plant up hanging baskets this month with smaller plants but make sure to keep them frost free and watered, then by the end of May they can go outside looking really established..

Trees and shrubs

Trees and shrubs will appreciate a good mulching this month to conserve water, stop weeds growing and add goodness to the soil. Look for any signs of disease or pests and spray accordingly. If there has been any late wind damage, tidy the branches so there are no ragged edges that will let the damp and disease penetrate. If you need to remove any branches of trees, there is a preparation you can buy that seals the newly sawn wood.

Water gardens

If you are `spring cleaning` your pond, be sure to put your fish in a large container where they can swim around quite happily until being returned to their pond, making sure that cats cannot get to them. Take care that Golden Orfes don't leap out as they tend to if moved. Once you have cleaned out and re-filled the pond, allow the water to stand for a day or two to avoid any temperature changes before returning the fish. If you are re-lining a concrete pond take care to use the correct sealant afterwards, and give it ample time to dry. Be ruthless and thin out aquatic plants. They will soon grow and fill the pond.

Wildlife

In April the birds are still breeding and so are most of the mammals that use our gardens. Parent birds are so busy feeding their young this month that they need concentrated body-building foods themselves such as the suet fat balls that we see in the shops especially for the birds.