With visitors now allowed in our gardens again, we need to get busy to get them looking good both for now and for the summer ahead.
Spring bulbs are filling our borders and pots with colour, and the lawn is starting to grow strongly again and will be needing a trim. There’s lots to do in April and hopefully some warm, sunny days to enjoy being outdoors.
1. Cut your lawn
The grass is growing again so it’ll need a weekly trim to keep it looking good.
- Give your mower a clean before you get cutting. By removing any caked-on grass clippings from underneath, you’ll make the mower lighter to push and more effective at its job.
- Set the blades on their highest setting so you don’t scalp the grass.
- Don’t lower them too much over the coming weeks as cutting at a higher height allows daisies and other lawn plants to flower and help pollinators, and the grass is also more likely to stay lush and green if we get any dry spells.
Have you considered a robot mower?
2. Sow tender veg
Some veg, such as cucumbers, courgettes and squash, are sensitive to frost and so should be sown indoors in April and then planted outdoors in mid- to late May. Use a Best Buy compost for sowing seeds and either keep them on a sunny windowsill or in a greenhouse.
Learn more about how to grow veg.
3. Pot up plug plants and seedlings
Summer flowers, such as pelargoniums, fuchsias and petunias, can all be bought as plug plants, either from the garden centre or online. When they arrive, take them out of their packaging straight away, even if you can’t pot them up, as they need plenty of light. Pot them up into a Best Buy compost for raising young plants and keep them in a sunny windowsill or greenhouse until the danger of frost has passed in mid- to late May when they can go outdoors.
Learn which are the best places to buy plants and seeds online
4. Clean your patio
Get rid of winter grime with a stiff brush or a pressure washer. You’ll be amazed by how much brighter the colour looks afterwards. While you’re at it, wipe down your furniture to remove any algae. Be careful not to blast things with a pressure washer as when it’s at too high a pressure it can cause damage, especially to delicate surfaces such as wood.
Find out which are our Best Buy pressure washers
5. Plant summer-flowering bulbs
April is all about spring-flowering bulbs, such as daffodils and tulips, but it’s also the month to plant summer ones, such as gladioli, eucomis and galtonia. Plant them at the depth recommended on the packaging and mark where you’ve put them so you don’t disturb them by accident.
Read more gardening jobs for April
