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Home > Home & Garden > Articles > What does the coming of April mean in the garden

What does the coming of April mean in the garden

00:00 Fri 06th Apr 2001 | Home & Garden

A. This is it, weather allowing. If you’ve done all the donkey work, planned your beds, bought the bulbs, are nurturing those seedlings, this is the month when you should really be able to start enjoying being in your garden.

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Unfortunately the constant rain and wet means some heavy soils are still too saturated to be worked properly.

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Otherwise we can start to enjoy seeing the buds coming out on the trees as the sap rises, spring bulbs bursting into colour.

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This month is also just about the last chance for sowing seeds and pruning. If you don't make the most of April, before you know it it will be too late to get the garden into tip-top shape in time for summer.

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Q. Where shall we start

A. Let's get all the pruning out of the way first. Shrubs that flower on current year's growth such as buddleias and fushsias should be pruned back to two or three buds from the base. Early and winter flowering shrubs�such as forsythia should be pruned back as they fade.

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Q. What else should be done in the flower garden

A. Bare rooted evergreens can go in now, as long as the soil isn't too wet still. Finish off planting roses and tie in new growth on climbing and scrambling varieties to avoid wind damage (this goes for other climbers like clematis as well) and also give roses a mulch and a feed to set them on their way.

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Finish dividing late flowering perennials�such as rubeckia and asters and stake tall growing flowering plants from an early stage. Finish off sowing half-hardy annuals inside and thin seedlings as necessary. Hardy annual seeds can be sown direct into the soil.

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Q. What about the lawn

A. With all the rain the lawn will probably appreciate spiking with a fork to let air in and improve drainage. Start mowing on a high setting gradually lowering the blade as the month goes on.

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Q. And the vegetable garden

A. Soil allowing, chitted early seed potatoes and shallot sets should be planted. Peas and beans can also be sown and green house grown tomato seedlings thinned and pricked out. Towards the end of the month the first lettuce and radish can be sown in milder areas.

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If you have a question about your home or garden, click here.

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By Tom Gard

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