
Jobs to do in the garden this month…
Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials
Prune spring shrubs, such as forsythia, after flowering to keep them compact
Divide primroses once they have finished flowering
Dead head your roses if they’re repeat-flowering types
Tidy up borders, removing established and newly germinating weeds
Wait for bulb foliage to die down naturally before cutting back
Tie in climbing roses
Using rainwater (if possible), continue to water your flowering Rhododendrons
Look after the birds; clean the feeders, keep them topped up and put out some water
Deadhead daffodils and other spring bulbs, but leave the foliage to die back naturally
Mow the lawn on dry days
Continue to thin out drifts of hardy annual plants if they’re overcrowded
Feed trees, shrubs, hedges and roses with a balanced slow- release fertiliser
Stake tall perennial plants to prevent wind damage
Tie in the new shoots of climbing plants, including clematis, wisteria and honeysuckle, to their supports
Start to pick sweet peas as soon as they flower to encourage more blooms
Sow Wildflower seeds in trays or modules, to produce plants for your own mini-meadow

Gail Sheppard