This Month in Your Garden – April

No life is without difficulties. No garden is without weeds.
C.L. Fornari

It seems like it’s been a long time since we were truly able to get into the garden with the sun on our backs. It depends of course which part of the country you’re in but for many there are those jobs we keep putting off because the weather has been against us. Still, one thing is certain, weeds will grow and now is the time to take control.
Arm yourself with a hoe and stop those annual and perennial weeds from spreading. If you have to, lift herbaceous perennials that have couch grass growing through them and remove grass and weed roots before replanting the plant.

The Lawn Care Guide - April

‘I walked across the two feet of drive to the lawn and stepped slowly onto the grass. It wasn't a wild grass, of course, but it was happy grass.’ 
Faith Hunter

We all want happy grass but it takes a little work to achieve it. Moss is the arch enemy when the winter and early spring has been so wet it has encouraged the rapid spread through the lawn. A regime of spiking and aerating when conditions have left standing water, then scarifying when it’s dry enough will help get air to grass roots and promote growth.

Aerating the lawn also helps to warm up the soil, while relieving compaction. Severe moss and weed infestation needs remedying with a mix of fertiliser, moss and weedkiller such as Evergreen. If you have a new lawn it can be damaged by weekiller but Scotts Verdone Extra claims to be usable two months after sowing.

Lawn Care: Questions and Answers

Q. I don’t like the idea of using chemicals in the garden and on the lawn. What are the alternatives?

The Vegetable Plot - April

Get sowing now!

There’s nothing to beat home-grown spuds and it’s time to chit and plant out second early potatoes in the first half of April and maincrop in the second half. You don’t have to have a large area of ground, you can grow them in containers or even large trug buckets providing there is drainage and enough depth of compost to grow them in.

The Big Glut Recipe – April

Stuffed Mediterranean leg of lamb

What a lovely way to serve six as a real start to spring. Recipe from House and Garden.

Ingredients

• 2kg (4lb) leg of lamb on the bone
• 4tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 anchovies, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2tbsp salted capers, rinsed
• 1tbsp grated lemon zest
• 2 teacups fresh breadcrumbs
• 2-3tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• Rocket or baby spinach leaves
• 1 lemon, cut into quarters