GARDEN | April gardening tips – It Is all kicking off

Here we go fellow gardeners. April is the month when there’s no looking back!

Ever since Andy and I began keeping bees we’ve been super aware of which plants flower at which time of year. Nature is a clever mistress and bees are provided with different flowers to feast on throughout the year.

Our bees have just begun to stir on warm days are finding food from flowering trees, daffodils and the bright yellow flowers of the local gauze bushes

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April showers

Rain and sun. The perfect combination for growing plants. April is the month to get sowing a huge variety of seeds. Many can be sown straight outdoors now. I usually find the mixture of wet and warm weather this month gets seedling off to a great start – but be aware of late frosts and dry spells.

If you’ve been sowing seeds indoors over the last few months you will have some small plants ready for the great outdoors. On warm days put them outside and bring them in overnight. This is called ‘hardening off’ and will save your young plants from the shock of being put straight outside.

Sweetie Darling

April is your last chance to sow sweet peas. These annuals are hugely popular with gardeners of all abilities as they are easy, colourful and wonderfully scented. We usually plant them in specially made baskets with support sticks built in. As they grow we just help guide them onto the framework for stunning results.

Sow your seeds in fertile, well drained soil mixed with seed compost. Put your pots out in an area of full sun and watch them go! Pick flowers throughout the summer for fragrant and beautiful table decorations.

Off with their heads!

Now’s the time to start deadheading. The process of deadheading not only keeps your garden looking fresh and vibrant but keeps your plants producing more flowers for longer.

Have a go now at pansies, primulas and any other spring flowering plants.

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And so to bed

Keep an eye on your flower beds. April is a great time to feed and top up with compost to give your borders a boost. Now is also the time to start checking your borders for any plants that are thriving a little too much. Flower beds are about balance so make sure nothing is getting out of control and smothering smaller, later blooming plants.

Also it’s time to start weeding! Everyone’s favourite job. As with most things in life, a little bit everyday will work wonders. Stick on the radio and try and dedicate a bit of time to tidying up your beds. It will transform your garden and keep your flowers looking gorgeous.

So there we have it – a few tit bits to help you out this month. If you’ve never grown anything before, April is definitely the month to get started. Results are fast and impressive – boosting your confidence as a gardener straight away. Try a few pots this year and see how you get on.