April

The Edible Garden

Second early and main crop seed potatoes which have sprouts on them can be planted out this month.
Peas, spring onion, turnip, spinach, lettuce, leeks, and radish can be planted, as can shallots onions and garlic.
Plant Jerusalem artichokes, and asparagus crowns.
Seeds of brassicas such as cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts can be sown under glass in frost free spots for planting out in the garden in June or July
Those of you with greenhouses can start sowing peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines. For all but the warmest areas these are best grown in the greenhouse all season.
Sow small quantities of lettuce at 2 weekly intervals to ensure a continuous supply over the spring and summer.
Vegetable seedlings form the garden centre can be planted this month.
Now is also the time to start planting fresh herb plants for summer picking.
Earth up early potatoes to protect young shoots from frost damage.
Prune espaliered and fanned fruit trees.
Plant new berry canes and plants now ? Raspberries, Currants, Gooseberries and strawberries can all be planted this month.
Feed blackberries, blackcurrants, and other berries with a high nitrogen fertiliser such as Sulphate of Ammonia. This will encourage strong bushy growth. Later in the season, as fruit sets, a plant food high in potash will be required.
Sow beetroot direct into the garden.
Look out for first signs of aphids and control immediately with an insect spray. This will greatly reduce numbers later in the season by breaking the reproductive cycle.
Feed vegetable gardens with a good general fertiliser or pelletised chicken manure.

The Flower Garden

Large clumps of herbaceous perennials can be split now and the smaller divisions with roots and new shoots can be replanted and watered in.
Now is the time to plant new summer flowering perennial plants Campanula, Aubretia, Lupins, Dianthus, and Alpine Phlox can all be planted now.
Hardy summer flowering annuals can be sown now and in warmer areas young seedlings can be planted into the garden.
Sweet peas can be sown outdoors now. Soak seeds in water overnight to soften the hard outer coating and make germination easier.
Start cleaning and preparing hanging baskets and containers, for planting late in the month for masses of summer colour. If you prefer to buy readymade, preplanted containers will appear in store this month.
Remove spent flowers on daffodils and tulips but do not remove foliage, which produces the food and energy to be stored in the bulb for next year. If foliage looks unsightly it can be tied to keep tidy.
Primulas, polyanthus and pansies will flower a bit longer if you keep picking off the spent flowers - this is called deadheading.
Lavenders can be trimmed lightly to encourage a flush of new spring growth.
Protect new shoots of plants such as lilies, hostas and delphiniums from slugs and snails by putting slug pellets around.

General

Spray lawns with a weed and feed spray such as Weed, Feed and Moss Spray for a spring clean up.
Repot house plants, increasing to the next pot size. Any root bound plants can have their roots trimmed and teased out. A light trim of the foliage might also be beneficial in this case. Use a good quality potting compost and water the plant well after potting.
Prune newly planted hedges by a third to encourage dense, bushy, new growth.
Spread mulch around trees and shrubs to conserve soil moisture and suppress weeds.
When landscaping your garden make sure you have a theme or style in mind. This can be determined by the style of your house, climate, and soil type. Once you have determined a style make sure all your planting conforms to it. Some styles to consider are green, white and silver, cottage garden, formal topiary, and edible. Now is the perfect time to plant small shrubs for to establish for summer flowering.

What to look for in store this Month

A range of small grade shrubs for spring and summer colour including Ceanothus, Broom, Cistus, Euonymus, Hypericum, Hebe, Pieris, Escallonia
Weed, Feed and Moss spray for lawns.
Chicken manure - use in the vege garden.
Compost - for improving soil condition and mulching the garden.
Berry plants, including Raspberry, Gooseberry, Strawberry and Currants..
Vegetable and herb plants.
Seed potatoes.
Summer flowering perennials and gap fillers such as Campanula, Digitalis, Dicentra, Aubretia, Alpine Phlox, Lupins, Dianthus.
Pre-planted containers, ready to go!