April in the garden

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”– Abraham Lincoln

At long last, spring has arrived! Is it just me or has this winter really dragged on? As you look out in your garden, does the nagging question of “where do I even begin” sound familiar? There is so much to do in every corner this month that it is difficult to know where to start.

In my opinion, the first and most important thing to do is to stand back for a moment, and simply enjoy the beauty that Mother Nature has given us…. Listen to the birds as they sing you a spring melody, I’m really enjoying having Mr Robin back working alongside me on a daily basis, it just makes it all a bit more enjoyable to be serenaded whilst at work.

Don’t worry too much if your garden doesn’t seem to be flourishing as you have been hoping – this is all down to the cold of the last few months and it will pick up quickly as the weather warms up.

The weather at this time of the year is everything mixed into a day. Bright sunny mornings will pass into rainy afternoons and end in sharp frosts. You will need your wits about you just to keep abreast of it. Consequently, April is not too late to prune roses sharp, especially if they are encouraged along by a week of warm weather. Sometime there will be a finger numbing frost that will cause more damage than ever.

Other Jobs to do this month:

Keep on top of the lawn

Mowing regularly will help strengthen your grass and discourage coarser grasses, apply a spring lawn fertiliser to encourage good, strong growth. If moss is a problem choose a combined fertiliser and moss killer. After a couple of weeks lightly rake the lawn with a spring-tine rake to remove dead moss and old plant debris.

Lawn in Teddington

Yes, it’s boring, but keep those weeds under control before they take off. Pull up the root wherever possible. Actually this can be quite therapeutic and the end result makes it well worthwhile.

Before your evergreen hedges like yew and holly have a chance to get growing (and assuming the frosts have passed), grab this last opportunity to prune them to the desired height.

Dead-head daffodils as soon as the flowers fade and leave foliage for a minimum of six weeks, or until it yellows. During this time the daffodils carry all the nutrients down to the bulb and they will be needed for fabulous flowers next year.

For Fun

Start a herb garden near the back door with young mint, rosemary and tarragon plants. Sow seeds of hardy herbs like parsley and chives in nearby patches. Get the kids involved in the planting and the subsequent cutting for the cooking pan or plate.

If your child(ren) prefer flowers then sow hardy annuals like pansies and nasturtiums which are very dependable and offer plentiful flowers.