In our own gardens, secret or not, the sun is beginning to shine, the days get warmer, green shoots and bright flowers peep out from the soil and trees blossom.
In these unusual times, our gardens remain an oasis of calm, largely unaffected by the latest news. In April for many of us the lockdown is in place and taking time out in our gardens is the most effective way of relaxing and switching off from the everyday troubles of the world and there is plenty of evidence to show gardening is good for our wellbeing. It’s likely that over the next couple of months , many of us will be spending more time at home and in our gardens than we might have expected.
Now is the time to get those fingers walking and check out the online markets for planting, there is loads of choice out there, just need to accept a bit of “virtual queuing” but please support our centres & nurseries as this is their golden time of the year, without our support many will not survive the lockdown.
There are still many activities (let’s not call them gardening tasks or jobs!) to enjoy in the garden over the next few weeks – I have listed them below
Top Activities To Do This April
Sow sweet peas direct where they are to flower and plant out any that you sowed in the autumn, having first hardened them off.
Deadhead your spring-flowering bulbs and keep them weed-free. Allow the leaves to die down naturally.
Herbs can be sown in pots on the windowsill to give you fresh ingredients throughout the summer.
Plants kept in containers will appreciate having the top few centimeters of soil replaced with fresh compost mixed with controlled-release fertilizer. Top with a mulch to aid moisture retention.
Sow cut-n-come again salad crops, a little and often and you won’t need to buy supermarket salad leaves in plastic bags all summer.
Now is the time to sow direct carrots, peas, beetroot, winter cabbages, broccoli, salad crops and much more
Marrows, courgettes, pumpkins, squashes, and tomatoes can all be sown in a heated greenhouse or propagator
· Now is the time to start hardening off vegetable plants and others that you have been protecting from late frosts. Put them outside for a few hours each day before finally leaving out overnight and planting.
Houseplants will benefit from increased watering. In just a couple of months, you’ll be able to put them outside for their summer holiday.
Summer flowering bulbs and dahlias can now be planted. Keep them watered and protect young shoots from rampaging slugs.
Now is a good time to repair an existing lawn or to sow a new one. Just make sure the sowing area is firm and level.