April’s Gardening News Letter – From Jane Follis

HAS Spring finally sprung? The jury is still out.
April weather is so unpredictable. I spent last Saturday morning digging my vegetable patch and sowing onion sets in the glorious sunshine and then found myself staring at huge snowflakes the following evening!! Today is decidedly chilly and we still have the risk of frosts. This means we must remain cautious and not rush out and plant tender seedlings.

On a personal note, I am pleased to report my father is making good progress at last. I organised a live in carer for the last two weeks and he is now walking every day and can drive the car for short distances. It has been a hard six weeks, but things are now back to normal and I can concentrate on my work.

SEASONAL TIPS
This is the month to get on top of the weeds. They will be growing at quite a rate particularly if we have had warmth and rain. I can?t emphasise enough the need to mulch. This not only suppresses the weeds but it helps retain moisture in the ground, which is going to become more and more of an issue with the hose pipe ban in place.

For those of you who have evergreen grasses in the garden remove the old leaves by pulling your hands through the plant in a combing motion. This removes the old thatch and gives the plant a new lease of life. Please don?t cut them down. I went to see a client last weekend whose gardener had trimmed them. They now look like little hedgehogs and will never really recover their former glory. Other grasses such as Miscanthus and Molinia?s can be cut down. In contrast to the evergreens the stems will be looking tired and dead and it will be obvious they need cutting back. If you look carefully, you will see the new growth coming through at the bottom of the plant.

Cut back slightly frost tender plants such as lavander, hebe, santolina, rosemary and sage. Make sure you only cut into new growth and not into the old wood. This is also a good time to plant these varieties.
Continue to prune spring-flowering shrubs once the flowers have died down.

When the daffodils have finished flowering take off the heads by nipping them with a finger and thumb. I know it is messy for a few weeks, but please leave the leaves as they are. They do not need tying up or cutting off. The longer they are left the more nutrient will go back into the bulb for better displays next spring.

Plant summer flowering bulbs (see March Newsletter). Grow lilies in pots so they can be moved into the garden to fill any gaps during the coming months.

Sprinkle a general fertiliser, such as ?Growmore? around the base of the shrubs and perennials.

Start cutting the lawn if you haven?t already done so. Keep the cutting height quite high (about 2.5cm) for the first few cuts.

THE VEGETABLE PATCH
Tidy up the greenhouse and wash down with Jeyes fluid. I usually wash all my pots and trays at the same time. Sow tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, chilli and cucumber in the cool greenhouse. I actually started most of my vegetables off on the kitchen window sill and will be transferring them to the greenhouse or the ground later this month. I am being a little cautious as we still have risk of frost so my kitchen will just have to look like a budding nursery for a while longer!

Seed sowing this month can include the following :- cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers, celeriac, kale, leeks, lettuces, mange-tout, parsley, spring onions, parsnips, peas, radishes, spinach and turnips. I also have broccoli and brussels sprouts ready to plant out.

Mulch around raspberries and other fruit bushes and clean up the strawberry patch. If you have a slug problem, use straw to lift the leaves from the ground.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS AND PLACES TO VISIT

15th & 16th April 2006
Natural Driftwood Sculptures
Bournemouth (www.driftwoodsculptures.co.uk
An open weekend offering 25% off

22nd April 2006
Capel Manor College, Middlesex
Workshop: Spring pruning ? flowering shrubs
Tel: 020 8366 4442

3RD May 2006
?Adventurous Terrace Pot Planting?
Waddesdon Manor (www.waddesdon.org.uk)
Slides, demonstrations and discussion with Sue Dickinson, head gardener at Eythrope (just down the road from me)

5th May 2006
?Sculpture and Ornament in the Garden?
English Gardening School (www.englishgardeningschool.co.uk)
Choosing subjects, locating them and connecting them to their surroundings.

11th ? 14th May
Malvern Spring Gardening Show
Tel: 01684 584924 for further information

SPECIAL OFFER

Adirondack Outdoors Garden Chair
(www.adirondack.co.uk)

Offering 25% off for a limited
period (to April 21st)

If anyone is interested, please contact me
and I will place an order. These are
probably THE most comfortable chairs I
have ever sat on ? designed by Native
American Indians.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
The HTA have just issued guidelines regarding the hosepipe ban to designers and landscapers. I have picked out some of the more salient points raised in the article.

What does a hosepipe ban mean?
Temporary hosepipe restrictions are defined under section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991? this Act empowers water companies to prohibit or restrict the use of hosepipes specifically for watering private gardens and washing private vehicles.

A hosepipe ban in the areas affected would mean that landscapers working in a private garden for a client, relying on the customers? water supply, could not use a hosepipe? to water that garden. The landscaper could use a hosepipe for other purposes such as filling containers etc.

For further information such as ?Garden Watering During Hosepipe Restrictions? is available from the main website www.the-hta.org.uk

There are a couple of things that we could all do to help in the garden. One would be to mulch the flower borders and the other would be to install water butts to as many downpipes as possible.

I wish you all a very Happy Easter