April Gardening

Well March came in like a lamb but boy, oh boy it certainly went out like a lion.

As April starts off with showers I begin to hope that maybe the seasons are sorting themselves out and we'll get a summer this year. I'm ever hopeful!

Well I'm filling in for the true gardener this month so I'm afraid what you'll get is a run down of the my usual gardening activities at this time of the year. I hope it's useful.

Take advantage of the showers to try and get  the lawn, (just grass in my case), sorted out by using a Spring/Summer feeding mixture or sowing fresh seed to fill in those bare patches.  Make sure you sow new lawns, if that is what is required, on moist well prepared soil and keep watered in dry spells.

The Garden Centres are full of bedding plants at the moment but it is still rather early to risk putting them out as we could still get some late frosts. Try to accustom plants raised indoors to outdoor conditions before planting out, hardening off for 2/3 weeks before putting them in their final position. If you're growing your own bedding plants mid-spring is a good time to sow them as they germinate quickly and usually produce strong, healthy plants.

At the moment I'm potting up my favourite summer bulbs, lilies of all shapes and sizes and can't wait for the vibrant display I'm hoping to get. I've also sown night-scented stock and I'm looking forward to the heady perfume on warm summer evenings. There I go again thinking about a good old fashioned summer! I'm also trying to get my taller perennials staked earlier this year, before they put on too much growth, as I'm trying to avoid the delphiniums and Sea Holly taking a header as they did last year.

Sea Holly

In the vegetable patch the garlic, shallots and onions planted in January are putting on good growth and I'm getting ready to sow my beetroot, carrots, spring onions, radish and peas while the runner beans and leeks which I started off under glass are now being hardened off ready for planting out.

I took a chance with two new varieties of Sugar Snap and dwarf  broad beans this year and, following the packet instructions, planted them in March. I'm pleased to say it came off and both are now an inch and a half above ground and looking good.

At the moment I'm dividing, and refreshing the compost in my herb pots by the kitchen door ready to add to cooked dishes and salads throughout summer. It's not a job I enjoy but it's usually worth the effort.

Well the last time I suggested getting out into the garden it snowed for nearly two weeks but I'll take that risk   ENJOY!