Pruning a Buddleja in April
As April arrives, the window for pruning your Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii) is reaching its peak. While many gardeners traditionally aim for March, the early weeks of April are often the best time to tackle this hardy shrub, especially in…
Pond-ering over a siphoning disaster
On Good Friday, the start of the Easter gardening weekend, I walked out into the garden to a scene of absolute, unmitigated carnage. My pond—my pride, my joy, my little aquatic sanctuary—looked less like a tranquil garden feature and more…
Prick out tomatoes
Timing is everything when it comes to the delicate transition of young plants, and for tomato seedlings, that golden moment arrives the second you spot their first set of “true leaves.” These are the ones that actually look like miniature…
Sow some lettuce
Cultivating your own salad greens is one of the most rewarding endeavours a gardener can undertake, primarily because the flavour difference is staggering. There is a crisp, peppery vibrancy in a leaf plucked straight from the garden that a grocery…
Make sure to do this if you have tulips in containers
As we transition into the heart of spring, it is incredibly easy to fall into a sense of complacency regarding our garden maintenance. After all, the winter months were characterised by a deep, passive dormancy, during which our plants required…
Mowing the lawn in April
Embracing a minimalist approach to lawn maintenance is not just a labour-saving choice, but a profound gift to the local ecosystem. While traditional gardening often prioritises a manicured aesthetic, allowing grass to grow long creates a rich sanctuary for a…
Do this if you want to tidy up spent bulbs
It is naturally tempting to clear away the messy, yellowing leaves of bulbs once their blossoms have faded, but rushing to tidy up can significantly weaken the plant. The foliage needs to remain intact so it can channel energy back…
What to do in April
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First tidy up of the season
It’s the middle of March, and the relentless downpour of the very British weather has finally ceased and actually provided a weekend of genuine, unadulterated sunshine—it was beautiful—the sort of light that makes you think, “Yes, I shall go forth…
The flamingo incident
My ‘Flamingo’ Willow is, quite frankly, a piece of horticultural flamboyance that has simply run out of the jazz. For eighteen years, it has sat in that raised border, doing its job, looking pink and white, and generally being a…