Gardening

Edition Thirteen - April 2007

Visits to garden centres have lost their appeal for me. With their rows of perfect plants, that appear to be an afterthought to the in store franchises selling clothes, food, furniture, gifts and everything else under the sun, they have instead become just more impersonal shopping malls. Most of my garden purchases now come from DIY stores and the local supermarket!

Trees and plants in our part of the UK are in blossom a full two months earlier than last year, and it will be interesting to see how the plant life adapts to this shorter winter..

After such a wet winter a great deal of the soluble nutrients in the soil will have been washed away, so it would be beneficial to sprinkle a general fertiliser, such as blood fish and bone, or something similar, over the soil and where possible hoe into the soil's surface.

Reminder: Keep safe in your garden

Jobs for the month - April

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 previously covered this, and lawn care in general, a little more extensively here 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 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. You can also 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 established..

Vegetables

The soil should be warmer and dryer now, so you can continue to sow your favourite crops. Take care not to sow the seed too thickly, poor a little of the seed into your hand and scatter it thinly along the drill you have drawn. It is great to grow your own vegetables and fruit, then you know it is free of pesticides. Some supermarkets are selling trays of salad plants that are kept on a kitchen windowsill and picked as required.. I've tried one of these which has been re-potted and lives in the conservatory..

Fruit

This is the month when the fruit grower finds there is plenty of crop spraying to do to ensure a healthy crop and  prevent pests and disease. Keep a close watch on developing fruits and treat accordingly. Take care still with late frosts and cover small trees and bushes with horticultural fleece. Refer to the appropriate section of your gardening book for fruit pest and disease control.  

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. 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.

Sunflower seed hearts are a favourite for the birds in our garden and even the visiting squirrel favours them above the peanuts he usually eats..

Happy gardening till next month....

RHS Flower Shows 2007

Tickets for RHS members

Privilege rate tickets are available for RHS members to all RHS shows, but tickets must be booked in advance. Click on the individual show links below for further information.
RHS members are not charged a booking fee for tickets purchased except for advanced tickets to the Malvern shows. To find out how to become an RHS member click here