Welcome to this month's round up of gardening tips from Lake District gardener, Jon.
April
April is here and spring is in bloom. Glorious jewels of colour are to be found across the garden, from dramatic blooms to tentatively opening buds.
Those buds are wise to be tentative, as conditions remain quite wintry between the warm and bright spells. There has been snow in the fells this month, and as I write this, snow continues to cap the Old Man of Coniston, which looks magnificent.
Speaking of magnificent, now is the time to rejoice in Magnolias, which are all coming into flower. Their transient beauty simply must be enjoyed before they all too quickly let go of their petals. Yet their brief brilliance is to me apt for this time of year, an artful prelude of what is to come in the garden; but also a reminder to enjoy the present moment. A sentiment, which, at this difficult time can be particularly relieving for all of the angst we currently face. With that in mind, here are some jobs that you can do now.
Start by tidying up your beds and borders. This may be this month’s biggest job, as there can be a lot to do. If the edges of your borders look a little bit vague and untidy, re-edging these will give a neater and attractive definition. Next, get your hands into the soil and do some weeding. This can be one of the most enjoyable gardening jobs, especially if you look at it from a mindfulness perspective.
Whilst in the border, you can always lift and divide some plants that have grown too large for their surroundings or faded towards the centre. Some plants may also need to be pruned back, but be careful not to lose too many of this year’s flowers.
Now is also a good time to put in supports for your plants that need it, such as vigorous herbaceous perennials. Supports placed now will allow the plant to grow over them and in turn obscure them from view later on.
Once you’ve finished those jobs in the borders, it is a good idea to mulch them. Mulching is hugely beneficial. A good layer of mulch will help to retain moisture in the soil and suppress weeds. It will also act as a good feed for the soil, as worms and microorganisms will eventually break it down and incorporate it into the ground. By mulching, you’re helping to give back what your plants are taking from the ground each year.
If you have any winter flowering heather, and haven’t already trimmed it back, do so now if the flowered stems are looking untidy. The idea is to allow space for the more vibrant growth to come through from below.
In a similar vein, if you have lavender, now is also a good time to prune it back. If left unclipped, lavender, particularly towards the centre, can grow woody and sparse.
Now is also the time to look to tie in any climbers you may have. Climbing and rambling roses should ideally be trained in a horizontal fashion to encourage flowers along the length of the stems. If left untrained, you will find the majority of your flowers at the end of long, vertical stems.
Other climbers, such as clematis, should be putting on good growth by now, and should be tied in to their supports.
Spring is a good time to plant new perennials, as not only is the weather relatively mild, but it is also damp - allowing the plants a good time to put on new growth before the summer heat builds.
April is a good month to lift and divide any summer flowering perennials. Water in well after planting and revitalise the soil with some organic matter. You should also look to ensure you have all of your summer flowering bulbs planted by the end of this month.
If you have any sweet peas left to sow, you still can, but they will now flower quite late in the season. Once the last chance of frost has past you can also plant out your sweet peas sown in the autumn, but harden them off outside prior to planting.
Lastly, I know it may not feel like it will ever stop raining, but it will, and then the lawn mowing can start in earnest. Until then, however, take great care to not venture out on too soft or wet ground - as a little longer grass looks better than a muddy, churned mess.
Jon
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