06 Apr Springing back to life

At last it’s Spring! And gardens all around are beginning to bus and burst. It’s time to get energised yourself, with so much to do in the garden – getting on top of things now will save you much effort in the months to come.

So it’s April…

A month of sun-rain-sun-rain…well, maybe not in my coastal corner of Essex where it continues to be exceedingly dry. I’ve noticed recently that in the gardens I look after, already I’m having to start watering in places. My own sandy soil is like dust. Time to dig in some soil improver to get some structure back into the soil, so it can hold more water when it does rain.

If it does remain dry this month and you are planting be particularly vigilant with shrubs and young trees by watering well until they are established.

Spring clean those borders

There’s no excuse for masses of autumn leaves to still be lying all over borders, they’ll cut out sunlight to newly emerging growth. It’s the last call to cut down all of last year’s old herbaceous growth so it doesn’t entangle with new green shoots, as happens with grasses especially. It really can be a therapeutic thing to do!

Dead daffodils – the great debate

Seems to me the daffs this year have finished pretty early, and so the frustrating 6 week wait begins, before I can dump the endless straggly foliage and give my borders over to new, prettier things. If you can bear it, it is worth leaving the leaves intact, to give the bulbs the best chances of coming up again next spring. Or in your garden has it all just got to go?

Weed Feed Water Mulch

If you’ve never done it before, I can’t recommend mulching your borders enough. It’s such a simple but effective trick…lay a thickish blanket of compost/bark chips/soil improver from the council tip around your newly emerging plants to keep out the weeds, keep in the moisture – and it makes them look good! Just weed, feed and water before it goes on for the best result. If you’re going to do it, do it soon before the weeds take hold and your rapidly growing perennials crowd you out.