What to do in:
April
- Check chrysanthemums for aphid attack. Spray with pyrethrum.
- Prepare beds for new roses and deciduous trees by digging in organic compost.
- This is a good time to cut back perennials that have finished flowering, and divide established clumps.
- Finish sweet pea planting.
- Spray annual weeds with Weedkiller before they go to seed. Cut off existing seed heads and put them in a plastic bag in the bin.
- Look for some of the new miniature spring bulbs – they’re great in pots.
- Lift strawberry plants, refresh soil with old organic matter, and replant runners.
- Feed lawns with Lawn Fertiliser.
- Patient gardeners can create their own standardised plants by careful trimming and training. Use azaleas, bay trees, duranta, citrus and climbers.
- Whole, unblemished tomatoes will keep well in a jar if the ripe fruit is covered with olive oil.
- SEEDS TO SOW: Forget Me Not, Calendula, Lobelia, Delphinium, Leeks, Spinach, Cabbages.