This Month in Your Garden - April

‘Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts.’ Sigmund Freud

Weather-wise, April looks like a mixed bag, so a degree of caution is needed when planting out. The warm, sunny days of the last week of March have given way to a cooler start to the month in most parts, so beware late frosts and protect susceptible plants with cloches or horticultural fleece. Spring brings inspiration and now we can paint the garden with colour. Early sown hardy annuals can be planted out along with herbaceous perennials such as geraniums and oriental poppies. 

The Lawncare Guide - April

‘My neighbour asked if he could use my lawnmower and I told him of course he could, so long as he didn’t take it out of my garden.’ – Eric Morecambe

Mowing is going to be more frequent from now as rain and warmth promote growth and the aim is to maintain a constant height through the rest of the year. The lawn will be healthier with the right height of cut, ideally taking no more than a third off in any one mowing. You will have, of course, gradually reduced the height with successive cuts since the first mowing of the season. 

Lawn Care: Questions & Answers

Q. We want to sow a new lawn. When is the best time to do this? 

The Vegetable Plot - April

‘Life begins the day you start a garden.’ Chinese proverb.

Watching your vegetable garden come to life by simply sowing seeds is a joy. Eating the vegetables you have grown yourself straight out of the ground is, literally, sensational. So, get sowing this month.

The Big Glut - April

Rhubarb crumble

What could be simpler than Gregg Wallace’s rhubarb crumble for BBC Good Food?

Ingredients:

• 500g rhubarb, chopped into chunks the length of your thumb
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 3 tbsp port (optional)

For the crumble topping

• 140g self-raising flour
• 85g butter, chilled
• 50g light brown muscovado sugar
• 50g chopped walnuts (optional)