One of the biggest garden maintenance jobs in April is your lawn.  They are beginning to stir after the winter rest, and so are the dandelions and daisies!  We all feel differently about those.  I love to see the daisies but loathe the dandelions!

Established lawns should be mown, but set the blades fairly high for the first few cuts.  Newly sown lawns, or recently turfed areas should be left well alone until the grass is a good 7 cms long.  A spring feed and weed treatment is a good idea too.  Before you do that get out the scarifying rake and go over the whole lawn thoroughly to get rid of any loose moss and thatch that has developed.  It will look horrid for a few days but the hard work will pay off very quickly.

If you have any serious lumps, bumps and holes in the Lawn now is a good time to carefully peel back the turf and level up the soil underneath.  Remember to allow plenty if you are filling a hole as it will tread down.

Garden Ponds also start crying out for attention now as well.  It is probably time to start feeding your fish if you haven’t already.  Taking early preventative action in the war against algae never goes amiss.  I like to use Barley Straw Pads and they work well.

Take a good look at your pond plants too, splitting waterlilies before they really get going again or they are unmanageable.  Other perennial pond plants can be cut back or divided now.  I always take this opportunity to make sure that the pond is still easily accessible for birds and other wildlife by softening the sides to provide easy access.  Check all the material you have round the edge of the pond before everything starts growing so that you know you have firm footing if you have to do maintenance work on the pond later in the summer when it’s not so easy to see through the foliage.

These are probably two of my favorite garden maintenance jobs for this time of year as you can really see where you have been and the garden starts to look loved and cared for.

Garden Maintenance In April – 3 is a post from: The Garden Magazine

Garden Maintenance in April is all about clearing up the debris of the winter and getting ready for the Summer with lots of sowings and plantings.  It’s still too early to rule out any frosts as they can catch you unawares at this time of year, especially if you have had a few warm days as we have in the last week.  We spent the weekend clearing and cleaning up our vegetable beds but it is time to start looking at the more decorative aspects of the garden as well.

When Spring comes you can see that there are a lot of hidden corners which hold dead leaves and the shoots of weeds nestling underneath them.  You need to be really vigilant about getting all the rubbish out and clearing away those unwanted plants before they have time to flower and seed.  Somehow they always seem to be ahead of everything else and to survive those sharp frosts.  On of the most important garden maintenance jobs is just to get out there with a rake, shovel and broom to gather up all the loose bits and pieces so you can see what needs doing.

A good session weeding borders and patio pots will never go amiss in April.  You can generally  spot what needs repotting into a larger home, or what needs feeding and a bit of tlc.  Whilst it might not be technically the right time for pruning, there are few plants that don’t benefit from a tidy up after the winter.  You can see what has been damaged and remove it before it does active harm to the plant.  We have had a very severe winter this year and lots of things needed a bit of grooming to help them along.

Deadheading Daffodils, Tulips, Hyacinths and other flowering bulbs needs to be done, but leave the foliage to help the bulb for next year.  I like to just firm them in a little as well if the soil has moved away from the stems as a result of weather.  Pansies and other winter flowering bedding need tidying up too.

If you have herbacious perennials that need splitting now is the time to do it.  A herbacious perennial is a plant that has soft green stems and that usually dies back in the winter – but they come back stronger than ever in the spring.  Penstemons and Hostas are among my favorites.

If you live in a mild or sheltered are, you can start to sow annuals outdoors, or into trays for summer bedding plants.  Petunias, Lobelia, Nasturtiums can go into seed trays indoors now.  My favorite of all, Sweet Peas can be sown outdoors now, do make sure you have adequate support for them as they grow so quickly.  Whilst you are in the planting mode, and there are some open areas of soil, it is a good time to plant summer bulbs as well.

Garden Maintenance in April – 2 is a post from: The Garden Magazine

April is definitely a month to be doing things with your Fruit and Vegetables.  We have had some very sharp frosts still so you need to protect the blossom of your stoned fruit trees such as Apricots, Peaches and Nectarines.  Whilst on the subject of fruit trees don’t forget to prune your Cherry and Plum trees once the leaf buds have cracked open.

You can start planting your Potatoes – remembering again to protect any early shoots from frost.  If you didn’t plant Asparagus last month that can go in along with root crops like Carrots, Turnips and Kohlrabi.  Salad crops such as  Spring Onions, Swiss Chard, Lettuce as well as Brassicas can be started now too.  I like to get some herbs such as Basil and Chives going to.  You will need to protect early sowings with fleece and/or polythene if you are still getting frosts.

In the greenhouse I am busy with Peppers, Aubergines (one of my favourites!) and Cucumbers – potting on your Tomatoes can be done as well.   I’m just beginning to increase the amount of ventilation in the greenhouse now that the days are warmer but do remember to close up at night or you could lose a lot.  I shall be doing some softwood cuttings from my beloved Fuschias as well as repotting and feeding some of the house plants.  My Orchids are doing particularly well at the moment and I am extremely pleased with the way they are responding to almost total neglect!

Garden Maintenance in April – 1 is a post from: The Garden Magazine

The last few garden maintenance jobs that must be done in March are fairly obvious but bear mentioning none the less. Lawns need to be looked at as they are starting to grow again and time can usefully be spent raking to remove thatch and moss before starting to mow. When you do start to mow, make sure the blades are set quite high for the first few cuts and rake off any cuttings if you don’t catch them in a box or bag on your mower. You should also look to see if any areas need some care by way of reseeding or turfing and prepare the ground accordingly.

It’s a good time to check over your Pond as well, check over all the pond ‘electricals’ like pumps, lighting systems and filters. Give any other water features a quick check too. I generally put some barley straw pads on the top of my pond at this time as well just to prevent any algae getting hold in the spring sunshine.

Just as a word to the wise, it’s a good time to clean your patios and paved areas. My husband nearly took a tumble yesterday when going to fill up the bird feeders. Some of the paving stones had developed quite a slippery surface and had become dangerous.

If it’s too cold to be outside there are jobs to be done indoors or in the Greenhouse. Some houseplants might need to be repotted. Overwintered plants such as pelargoniums, fuschias and other tender perennials will need to be cut back and it’s a good time to plant your begonia tubers in pots. Don’t forget that March sun can sometimes be very warm in the greenhouse and you may need some ventilation but do remember to close up at night as it is still very cold.

Garden Maintenance in March – 4 is a post from: The Garden Magazine

Nasty Pests and Diseases can start to rear their ugly heads in March and it is a wise gardener who is vigilant at this time of year and builds this into her garden maintenance schedule. You need to keep the garden tidy and start removing all the rubbish that has accumulated over the winter to stop diseases developing unseen. Dead leaves should be removed from perennials as part of your regular maintenance. When you are inspecting your plants and seedlings watch out for any symptoms of damping off as well. The temperature variations at this time of year can have a dramatic effect on how things develop.

This is the time of year when those dratted slugs and snails start to appear as well. I am plagued by slugs in my garden and I have to keep a constant watch. One of the most successful ways I have found of protecting my Hostas, which are particularly susceptible, is to put a mulch of Pistachio Nut Shells around them. Believe me, slugs and snails don’t get past that! You should also be watching out for aphids, which start to make their appearance with the Spring sunshine.

If you grow stoned fruits, such as Peaches and Nectarines make sure you keep them protected from March winds to prevent Peach Leaf Curl. Whilst in the fruit garden you should also be spraying for Gooseberry mildew and pear scab.

On a more pleasant front this is a good time to sow a wildflower ‘meadow’ even if only a small one, for all the butterflies and other beneficial insects it will attract. You should see a hungry Ladybird making a meal of aphids! As I said before it’s also the time to think about Nest Boxes for the birds and do make sure you keep your Bird Bath and ponds topped up. I had a wonderful ‘Tea Break’ this morning watching two Blackbirds having a bath in my pond. We have an area where the birds can easily get down to the water on some flat stones and these two were having such fun – it was a joy to watch and they pirouetted and preened. Maybe if I’m lucky they will nest in the garden and that will put paid to a few slugs as well! Watching things like that makes all the effort of garden maintenance well worth it!

Garden Maintenance in March – 3 is a post from: The Garden Magazine

Continuing our garden maintenance theme now that Spring is in the air and the garden is crying out for colour, it’s time to turn your attention to ensuring that you get  your hardy annuals going by sowing them either in pots, trays or modules.  Sweet Peas can be started off too, I generally nick the seed coating to give them a start or soak them for a few hours to soften that hard outer shell.  Whilst you are busy sowing you should also start off your Summer bedding plants if you are intending to grow them from seed.  If you are going to sow in the early part of March then put them in a heated propagator or sow under glass to give them some protection from the frosts you can still get – we had an incredibly hard frost yesterday morning.

It also time to topdress your containers with some fresh compost and maybe put some fertilisers on the bulbs that are beginning to peep through now.  I also like to try and get a mulch onto some of the borders before the weeds start springing up.  I shall be using some of the material that we shredded last year when chopping down some trees, it has broken down quite well and is ready for use now.

Talking of trees it’s time to check any shrubs and trees planted last autumn and firm them in.  It’s also time for one of my favourite jobs – pruning.  I’m a great believer in hard pruning to get a plant to be the way you want it to be.  My definition of a weed is any plant that isn’t where you want it or doesn’t do what you want so I wield the secateurs with some ferocity.  At this time of year I will be looking over my summer flowering shrubs and late flowering clematis amongst other things such as climbers which have run riot over the year.  I won’t be touching my spring flowering shrubs til after they have finished flowering but they too will get a serious hair cut in due course.

I’m not a great fan of evergreens and conifers but if you do have them in your garden this is the time when you should look to move any that need a change of scenery as part of your garden maintenance plan.

Garden Maintenance in March – 2 is a post from: The Garden Magazine

March will soon be upon us and it is the time of year when there are lots of jobs to do and the weather is fit to get out into the garden and enjoy doing them.

Fruit and Vegetables need your attention at this time of year and you should be busy preparing the seedbeds for later use by clearing them and maybe covering them with polythene or fleece to warm up the soil in cooler areas to give your seedlings a head start. In milder areas you can certainly start to think about sewing some crops outdoors, at the very least you should be sowing some seeds in the greenhouse for later use. Certainly early potatoes can be planted. Things like Shallots, onions and garlic can be planted along with Asparagus (my favourite!)

In the greenhouse it is time to sow peppers, tomatoes and other salad veges, celery and artichokes can be started off now as well. If you have blossom coming on some of your stoned fruits such as apricots, nectarines and peaches they will need to be protected from stray frosts – like the heavy one we had last night. A good mulch and feed will do them good at this time of year as well. Any pruning of soft fruits needs to be completed as well.

Most of my winter vegetables are coming to an end now but there are still a few parsnips, some Purple Sprouting (my second favourite) and Kale in the garden. I have some spinach that has overwintered quite well too and we are still picking that. I must admit to beginning to crave the fresh new salads of the spring too though we’ll be eating the last of the winter sprouts and cabbages first.

It’s a time of year when I love looking at the nursery catalogues as well, thinking about all the things I want to put in the garden, more and more I find myself looking at the websites as they have such a lot of extra information, like Gardeners Choice. They are an excellent source of ideas and information for any gardener.

Garden Maintenance in March – 1 is a post from: The Garden Magazine

Rounding up the garden maintenance jobs for July you need to look after your lawns. They will need some water if it is very dry and a final feed when the ground is damp after a shower. If it is very dry then don’t forget to set your lawn mower blades a little higher so you don’t scalp your lawn.

On the subject of water – this is the time of year to really monitor your water features, especially if you have fish or wildlife in and round them. Duckweed and suchlike need to be regularly removed and any floating dead foliage should be swept off the top of the water. Aquatic plants need to be kept pruned and tidied to keep them healthy. I have to clean out my pond this year and pass some of my much loved fish onto a friend with a bigger pond – they have grown too large for mine. I shall miss them.

When you do any work on your ponds and water features do make sure that frogs and toads can easily get in and out – they are among your best friends when it comes to slug control. Be careful if you must spray with chemicals that there is no drift onto your pond and that you take care of the bees and other helpful insects like ladybirds

Garden Maintenance in July – 4 is a post from: The Garden Magazine

July is a month to watch out for the dreaded Lily Beetle amongst other pests. The scarlet lily beetles look quite spectacular until you see the damage they can do. It caused me immense grief last year to have to dispose of all my lilies which had become infested almost overnight. They were all pot grown so it didn’t do too much damage to the garden as a whole but it was heartbreaking none the less. Sawfly can also attack shrubs such as Berberis and also gooseberries. Do watch out for slugs on damp evenings, it isn’t so much the big ones that you need to worry about as the pesky little ones that lurk under the soil!

The dry weather in July often leads to an upsurge in the ant population which can invade your home as well as your garden so keep an eye open for them and treat accordingly. It also encourages some of the more powdery types of mildew on honeysuckle and roses amongst other. Regular watering of your tomatoes will help prevent blossom end rot and ensure a good crop so it is worth taking a few minutes every day to keep them moist.

Ripening fruits are a magnet for birds so you need to net them – and protect your brassicas and peas from marauding pigeons, they will nip the shoots out of a whole row in seconds.

Greenhouses are especially prone to pests at this time of year so sticky traps are well worth putting out to monitor the health of the green house. You also need to make sure your ventilate your greenhouse well, providing shade if necessary and damping it down when required.

House plants can often suffer in the summer – I like to place mine outside on nice days when it’s not too hot, maybe even leaving them for a day or two especially if there are light showers forecast. The plants seem to thrive on that and it freshens and cleans the leaves giving them a healthy look when they come back indoors.

Garden Maintenance in July – 3 is a post from: The Garden Magazine

Once you have the vegetable garden under control it’s time to look at the more decorative aspects of your garden – the flowers and trees.  One of the things I love doing is pruning – sometimes I can be a little over enthusiastic, but generally most things will benefit from a good ‘haircut’ as my Dad would have said.

Hedges need regular clipping – especially if they are fast growing varieties and you will need to trim any shaped hedges or elaborate topiary pieces in the garden too so that they look their best.  Wisteria is something that grows well around here and that will need any excess growth taking off if you want it to be at its best next year, as will your deciduous magnolias.  One job that you mustn’t neglect either is to cut out any shoots on your variegated shrubs that have reverted back to single colour.  I used to have a running battle with a fuchsia which had self seeded – but it throws flowers in two distinct colours representing each of it’s parents, in this case the fuchsia won and I just let it do it’s own thing now.

It’s important to apply regular feeds to your containers plant and any summer bedding if you have them.  Dead-heading is also an ongoing task to keep everything looking good.  One job I will be doing this week is dividing up my Irises now that they have finished flowering.  I have some that are almost black and I want to use them as an accent colour in a couple of place in the garden.  Whilst I am planting those I shall probably also plant my crocus – they can wait a little if need be.

Garden Maintenance in July – 2 is a post from: The Garden Magazine