Tom Strowlger
@garden_with_tom
The arrival of April brings us gardeners so much excitement as the garden will be glowing with spring colour, plentiful green growth and new life. The daffodils are a favourite floral symbol of mid-spring with their unique yellow trumpets, and us gardeners dream of what magical tunes they could perform. I myself love the ever-warming sun and smell of spring air; you can almost smell the garden growing.
The lawn grass will now be actively growing and we should continue to cut it on the lawnmowers highest setting. It is the ideal time to hand-sow grass seed into patches; we should lightly rake the surface before sowing the seed. Grass seed should germinate in 7 to 10 days if the ground remains moist and temperatures allow.
I love to create an area of wildflowers, so now is the time to hand-sow the seeds of poppies, cornflowers, corncockles, oxeye daisies, foxgloves and borage, to name but a very few, into empty borders and bare soil of the garden. The butterflies and bees will be so grateful and by doing this we support the wildlife that is so precious to us gardeners.
April is the ideal month for planting out summer bulbs, tubers, corms and roots as they need time to establish themselves in readiness for flowering in summertime. We should plant into a spot with well-drained soil and as much sun as possible. The flowers of the begonia, dahlia, crocosmia, gladioli, freesia, canna lily and lilies will make our gardens resemble the floral frontage of a florists.
The warmer days of April bring new growth of favourite plants and flowers. It also brings pesky and unsightly weeds; the more established weeds become the more difficult to get rid of them. Whilst the soil is still moist we should lift weeds and their roots before they take hold for the remainder of the growing season.
Try creating a hanging basket or two, they offer elevated floral colour near front or back doors, giving us a welcoming feel to our homes. We can set about cramming our baskets with fuchsia, begonia, geraniums, lobelia, viola, petunia and salvia. The key to successful hanging baskets is to water regularly, we want them to stay green and lush in the months to come.
We can use the warmer days to paint and maintain our garden fences, wooden benches, and sleepers-to smarten up the garden. It’s a good time to consider new outdoor furniture as we will have the rest of the gardening season to enjoy it.
So, as we go to one gardening job to another, we should take a moment to stand still and be mindful to live in that very moment, to breathe in the fresh East Anglian air and appreciate all that is good about the outdoors and remember that the garden is our own private sanctuary.
Please do follow me on Instagram @garden_with_tom for more seasonal gardening advice and tips.
This month’s top tips:
Give patio and decking a pressure wash
Sow Sweet Peas outside
Tie in climbers with string or wire
Create a compost with grass cuttings
Feed hungry roses and shrubs
