Spring is the perfect time to get back into the garden and start preparing for the summer ahead. The days are getting longer, the weather is warming up (hopefully), and there is plenty to do to get your outdoor space looking its best. Here are a few tips from Head of Gardens, Reiss Phillips, on what to do in the garden during March-early May

1. Cut down perennials/prepare soil

Mid to late March is the perfect time to cut down perennials, get rid of any dead growth from shrubs and remove weeds. April is the time to prepare your soil for planting. Plants should be popping up and have reasonable growth, so add compost or well-rotted manure or mulch to improve your soil’s fertility. Be careful not to cover the perennial plants directly on top of the crowns, place around with a decent layer. This will help, feed, and suppress annual weeds and also help retain moisture during the warmer days of summer.  

2. Buy bedding plants

If you have a greenhouse, lean-to, or frost-free area, you can get ahead by buying small bedding plants in April and growing them in sheltered, frost-free conditions. You’ll need to take care with watering as too much at the early stages can cause the small plants to rot. The rule of thumb is not to plant out bedding plants until the risk of frost has passed. Keep an eye on the weather!

3. Plant early vegetables

April is a good time to sow and plant hardier vegetables such as Broad beans, beetroot, carrots, Swiss chard, summer cauliflower, kohlrabi, lettuce, leeks, radish, turnip, spring peas, and perpetual spinach – all of which can be grown outside.

Tender vegetables need to be germinated and grown under glass, in a greenhouse or conservatory, and only planted out when the risk of frost has passed. 

4. Late April/May - Feed Shrubs and Trees

Feed your garden shrubs and plants by sprinkling a general fertiliser around their base. Just make sure risk of frosts has passed!  If you have camellias, rhododendrons or magnolias, you’ll need a specialist ericaceous feed. With roses, a general, balanced feed is suitable until the roses develop flower buds later in the season. To battle Rose diseases, it is also a good time to give roses a preventive spray to help the Roses fight the disease.

5. Prune your hydrangea

April (frost free, hopefully) is a suitable time to prune most hydrangeas except climbing hydrangea (hydrangea petiolaris). However, the pruning is dependent on each variety, therefore be sure to check. 

If the Hydrangea is newly planted, just prune down to a bud until the plant is more established with plenty of growth.

6. Sow sweet peas

March and April are the best months to sow and plant out sweet peas. Sweet peas like moisture, so it’s best to plant them in an area that is not too dry as this can encourage mildew. Adding organic matter or mulch to the soil can improve moisture retention. Sweet peas need to be hardened off before planting outside.

7. Lawn care

Provided the risk of frosts has passed, April is a crucial time for lawn care, setting the stage for a lush and healthy lawn throughout the rest of the year. It is important to begin by removing any debris or fallen leaves that have accumulated, using a rake or a leaf blower.

Next, a spring aeration. As with an Autumn aeration, it is recommended to aerate the lawn to promote healthy root growth and improve water absorption.

Fertilising in April/early May is also beneficial, as it provides necessary nutrients for the grass to thrive. Make sure you judge fertilising either before or after the first cut, ideally before. Allow the April showers to wash the feeds down into the lawn/soil. Otherwise, you risk removing the feeds when mowing (rotary mowers) by sucking up the feeds.

Finally, regular mowing should be established to keep the grass healthy, starting on a high setting. A word of warning here - do not cut off too much too soon as this can have a "shock" effect on the grass, turning it pale green/yellow and weak and increasing the risk of dying. The first cut is high, only taking off the top of the lawn. For the next cut, a week or so later, reduce the cut down a notch on your mower. This obviously depends on what type of mower you have. Just a word of warning folks, please do not cut your lawns to an inch of its life, cutting too short can lead to several issues. We don't all have a putting green so leave a bit of length to show!

8. Plant summer bulbs

April is a great time to plant bulbs such as dahlias and gladioli. These will add a splash of colour to your garden later in the summer.

9. Protect your plants from frost

April is a month of unpredictable weather, ranging from heatwaves to ground frosts and sleet! If you’re looking to plant tender vegetables or bedding plants, it’s best to cover them with cloches or horticultural fleece until the frost or cold weather has passed. Be sure to keep an eye on the weather forecast!

10. Give your houseplants some TLC

Spring is the perfect time to repot and start feeding indoor plants. Repotting your plants will allow your plant to soak up all the nutrients from the new soil and spread out in their bigger pots just in time to look fabulous for summer.

It is also time to crack open the plant food and give your houseplants a well-deserved boost. After their winter dormancy, houseplants will start responding to increased light levels and length of day; this will stimulate them to grow. Growing takes a lot of energy so to remain healthy they need food.

Time to get back in the garden and get started with these jobs!

Happy gardening!

 Written by Reiss Phillips, Head of Gardens