GARDEN TIPS BY SHELLEY HUGH-JONES

March 26, 2019Sommer Pyne

April is nearly upon us and the days are getting longer and brighter. Blossom and bulbs are flowering everywhere so if you feel inspired to make changes or give your plants a good start, now is the time to do it.

Feeding: A generous layer of mushroom compost or composted manure will give everything a good start. Follow this up with a regular feed from April through to September and your garden will flower more and be generally healthier. Scrape off the top 5-10 cms of compost in your planters and refresh with new multi-compost.

Lawns: Now is the time for the first cut if you have not started mowing already! Feed your lawn too.

Moving plants: It’s not too late to lift or divide if anything has got to big for its space or pot. Grasses and perennials can be divided and shrubs moved but do it soon before the weather picks up. Tie in all climbers before they wrap themselves around neighbouring plants!

Weeds: Remove the weeds before they get too large and unruly!

Colour: Add colour to your patio with pots of flowering bulbs, perennials and annuals. These can be changed and added to as the season progresses and moved around the garden filling any holes in the beds.

Bulbs: Leave all bulb foliage to die back for at least 6 weeks after flowering has finished so the goodness goes back into the bulb for next year. Finish planting summer flowering bulbs .

Save the Bees: Plant something for the bees this year. Flowers in the garden look beautiful but are also vital for our bees whose numbers are diminishing and as a result we are facing major problems on a global scale if they continue to decline. Avoid using pesticides and try biological or insect safe alternatives.

Fruit and Veg: Buy some seeds for sowing vegetables. Strawberries can be planted in April, plus sow some sunflower seeds; great to do this with children. Local plant nurseries sell seeds and can advise.