Our gardens are filling up with wildflowers, bulbs, flowering shrubs and trees. Displays of camellias, magnolias, azaleas and rhododendrons are spectacular in gardens with acid soil. We grow them in pots of ericaceous compost, kept damp with rainwater. Gardens like Leonardslee in W. Sussex are superb but, nearer home, visit Place for Plants or Blakenham Woodland Garden. Remember to deadhead finished bulbs, let their leaves die down naturally and give them a feed for more flowers next year.
It’s not too late to raise plants from seed in a greenhouse or on a windowsill – take care they don’t get too hot on sunny days or too cold on frosty nights. As seedlings grow they will need moving on to give them more space, light and food. ‘Pricking out” can be a time consuming but satisfying task. It is so easy to sow too many seeds so either be ruthless and throw some away or share with friends. Summer bedding will suffer from late overnight frosts so wait to plant out. Alliums are hardy and colourful during May. Greenhouses need to air on warm days so leave doors and windows open but remember to close them in the evening- tomatoes will yellow if cold. I start beans off indoors, then plant out after the last frost, adding more bean seeds for crop succession.
The mixed spring weather makes lawns grow quickly but reduce the mowing height gradually and seed any bare patches. ‘No Mow May” is well established now and can be extended into June, keeping at least one patch of grass long to benefit insects. Wild flowers may come back amongst the grasses and adding pot grown wildflower plants (available online) is often more successful at creating a meadow feel than sowing seeds.
Encouraging natural predators helps control garden pests but a first application of nematodes now can target slugs, vine weevil and box moth caterpillar. And for plenty of flowers on roses in June, feed and keep them watered.
Plants for April-May: spring flowering bulbs,cowslips, camassias,aubretia, polyanthus, kingcup, violet,fritillaria, dicentra, allium, aquilegia, euphorbia, foxglove, delphinium, clematis -armandii, alpina & montana,
Carolyn Jenkins