This Month in Your Garden - April

‘Every spring is the only spring – a perpetual astonishment.’ Ellis Peters

Hardy annuals are among the least expensive ways of creating colourful flower beds or filling gaps in borders and they are easy to grow. Sow them directly into the soil when the ground is warm enough, around 7°C (45°F) and sufficiently dry to rake down to a crumbly and fine tilth. You need no fertiliser because most annuals like poorer soil to produce more flowers. You can create large areas of bold or subtle themes in shades of one colour, or a kaleidoscope of multi-colours. 

The Lawncare Guide - April

A good time to weed and feed

It is quite likely after the first cut of the season your lawn reveals patches of moss that have grown through winter. Poor draining, wet soils, inadequately fertilised soil, areas of shade and compaction can all lead to moss development and spread. Moss reproduces via hundreds and thousands of minuscule spores produced in spring and autumn before the mother plant dies. 

Lawn Care: Questions & Answers

Q.  I have identified yarrow weed in my lawn, how do I treat it? 

The Vegetable Plot - April

And so, to seed

If you have a greenhouse you can start dwarf French beans and pot on for early picking. Sow two seeds to a pot in John Innes No. 1 compost with a little bottom heat if you can. You can either let them grow to maturity in the greenhouse or harden them off to plant out in late May. 

The Big Glut Recipe - April

Tarragon roast chicken with summer greens

From BBC Good Food 

Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• large woody sprig of tarragon
• 1 medium chicken (about 1.4kg)
• 450g baby potatoes, halved
• 2 tsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil (about 1.4kg)
• For the summer greens
• 1 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
• 2 leeks, cut into rings (about 300g) 
• 350g asparagus (250g pack plus 100g pack) ends trimmed, each cut into 4
• 320g frozen peas
• 260g bag of young leaf spinach
• 2 tbsp bio Greek yoghurt
• 1 tbsp tarragon leaves, chopped