Hello April!

In April, it really looks like spring in the garden. Although there’s still a chance of late frosts, the days are definitely warmer and everything is starting to grow again. It’s time to grab your tools and get out there. Here’s our list of the most important jobs for you to do in your garden this April.

Jobs for the week

Cut back dogwood 

The brightly-coloured young stems of shrubby dogwoods shine out from winter borders. The most dazzling colours, though, are on the youngest growth – so to keep your display at its best, cut the shrubs right back to the base now to encourage lots of new whippy stems. Use sharp secateurs or loppers and trim back to about 5cm above soil level. Finish with a scattering of slow-release feed and a mulch.

Flowers:	Buy in-flower summer basket plants to brighten the patio Prune summer- and autumn-flowering clematis by about two-thirds Pull (rather than prune) unwanted suckers from roses
Fruit & veg:	Sow beetroot, broad bean, carrots and cauliflower Use fleece or polythene cloches to protect early sowings in chilly weather Plant out seed potatoes under a double layer of horticultural fleece
Greenhouse:	Move potbound plants to larger containers to give roots more room to grow Start giving greenhouse and houseplants a regular liquid feed Prune indoor climbers like jasmine, passionflower and plumbago
Around the garden:	Set lawnmower blades high when starting to mow as grass is growing slowly Move evergreens growing in the wrong place or which have outgrown their space Feed garden birds while they’re nesting and have young to feed