April week 2

Grass cut around veg beds ready for planting.

Beautiful weather we have been having this week, with the odd April shower! Tattie planting has been the main task of the week in the garden along with seed sowing.

Our new lawn mower arrived this week so we have been doing the first cut (of many!) of the season.

All around the trees are opening up, tulip flowers are teasing colour and the cherry trees are giving amazing displays of solid colour that we wont see again until next year.

Flower Garden 

Dog Tooth Violets (Erythroniums)

Spring bulbs should be the main source of colour in the flower garden at the moment, with some help from Wallflowers, Aubretia, forget-me-nots, Primulas and Violas. Other plants worth considering for this time of year are Dog Tooth Violets (Erythroniums) sometimes called the pagoda plant. Buy as tubers in autumn. Great for semi-shade and doubles in flowers every year!

If your looking to prune your Forsythia, after it’s finished flowering is the best time to do it so keep the secateurs handy.

Sweet pea seedlings can begin to be planted outside now in most areas, they can take a light frost but hold back if there’s a deep freeze still expected in your area.

Continue sowing seeds for summer flowering and plant summer flowering bulbs such as gladioli and lilies.

Strawberry flower in polytunnel

Vegetable Garden

Plant seed potatoes.

Continue to sow seeds, now is the time for sowing runner beans, dwarf beans, cucumbers, courgettes and basil.

Keep sowing lettuce, radish’s and peas as the season progresses, this way you’ll be guaranteed a constant supply throughout the summer.

Final chance to make sure the vegetable beds are fully prepared before planting begins.

House plants

Houseplants will have begun growing again after winters dormancy now, so regular feeding is always appreciated.

Now is a good time to have a go at some easy cuttings; if you have a begonia or a coleus cut a stem with leaf and stick in some water in a bright but not in direct sun position. Replace the water once a week and in a few weeks the stem will have rooted for potting on.

April is a glorious month for colour, the bright greens of the new leaves, the vibrant whites and pinks of the cherry and apples trees and the many glorious colours of all the spring bulbs so make the most of these seasonal highlights.

Magnolia