April usually brings with it an injection of colour in our gardens, the spring bulbs are usually out in force, other plant leaves are unfurling and trees are often awash with blossom at this time of year making it feel as though life is most definitely stirring! The birds are usually singing, insects are usually starting to show themselves and often the bees are out making the most of the early nectar from the spring flowers.

Keep your eyes open for any pests like slugs and snails and the dreaded vine weevil.

Chances are you've been reticent about getting tender plants or seedlings outside but if you have ventured out take care still as frosts can still damage them so have some horticultural fleece or even an old newspaper at the ready to cover them during those colder nights. If you don't have either and can bring them indoors remember to take them back out the next day.

Spring is a great time for scent in the garden and if you don't have anything now is the perfect time to go out and buy yourself something that will add another dimension to your garden at this time of the year. Some to consider are, for example, Viburnum, Philadelphus, Wisteria and Magnolias but be sure to double check before you buy because not every variety of these plants has a scent.

If you have a vegetable garden you'll be a busy bee making sure the ground is prepared and heated sufficiently enough to plant those tender seedlings that will hopefully produce an abundance of tasty treats for you later in the year! Remember though the trick is to sow seeds every few weeks or so to make sure you get an ongoing supply of produce that you can cope with rather than being inundated with things like courgettes…yes, we've all done it with courgettes!!

April Garden Jobs

Some of the jobs that can be done in your garden this month are:

• Dividing perennials - any plants that you didn't get to last month, now's the time to replant them around your garden to increase your border stocks (or give to friends if you don't have any space in your own garden!)
• Keep weeding the borders, annual weeds should be easy to pull out by hand but the perennials will need digging out
• If you haven't cut back your ornamental grasses yet this is the last chance to do it or there may well be a chance of damaging the emerging shoots
• Get sowing your annuals
• Pot on any seedlings so they don't get too leggy
• Start protecting your plants from vine weevils, slugs and snails by using biological controls
• Begin your regular mowing, the first cut should be at the highest then lower each time you cut so by the end of the month it is at the usual setting or you may risk frost damage by cutting it too low too early
• Take on those edges, a good neat edge to your lawn makes all the difference
• Stake some of the taller perennials in the garden now before time gets away from you and they have become unruly
• If you haven't sown any sweet peas and want some you'll need to get them sown pretty quickly or it'll be too late!
• Foxgloves, Aqueligias and other plants that have self sewn themselves around the garden can be lifted and replanted exactly where you want them
• Keep a check on any containers and water if needed as we may have a few hot and dry days this month
• Plant up Dahlia tubers and keep them in a frost free place
• If you're planning on planting vegetables don't forget to sow successionally to avoid the gluts!