IT'S THE APRIL FLOWERS!
The fancy cups of Tulips appear to dance in their velvety evening dresses against a sea of smudgy blue Forget-Me-Nots.
A shiny carpet of colour mingles within the rockeries and grape Hyacinths seem to break this up with their blue beady heads - providing your garden with a complimentary mixture of shades and styles.
Later in the month drifts of Bluebells succeed in dominating in the shady spots of the garden, such as under trees. Their heady scent remains unforgettable. On the patio, there is plenty of colour - provided by Polyanthus and Pansies.
Flowering Blackcurrants with their chains of deep pink flowers look superb next to the soft blue flowers of Ceonothus.
Drumstick Primulas also have refreshing blue and purple flowering globes which look wonderful if planted alongside Dicentra (Bleeding Heart).
There is plenty to admire in the garden but also plenty to do and weeding could well be one of your main tasks.
Lawns will need a little light attention on a regular basis now they are actively growing after the winter.
(Paul Tovey)
Who wants to be a
Trillium-aire?
Two’s company - three’s just fun!!!
TRILLIUMS are plants rarely seen in gardens. Although they are easy to grow in a shaded position - they detest disturbance and perform best in a soil which has had plenty of leaf mould incorporated.
The name Trillium is derived from the fact that their leaves and flowers are borne in threes in April.
Ironically, these plants take up to three years to establish and flower so it takes a very patient gardener to grow Trillium!!!
STRAWBERRIES are very easy to grow and also very satisfying and now is the perfect time to set out young nursery grown plants.
Two of the most important things to consider when growing these are - initially the quality of soil and throughout the season, attention to watering.
These fruits need plenty of humus rich organic matter and lots of sunshine to ensure that they’ll be ready for you to have with cream during Wimbledon fortnight..........Quiet please!
IF YOU have a flat roof or a garage roof, why not put it to good use by displaying a few pots of bulbs that could be viewed from upstairs. It’s worth checking that your roof is strong enough to support these and it ought to be reasonably practical for watering and feeding.
If you have a balcony, it’s worth checking with your landlord that the weight restrictions on it are capable of holding your display. Such shows are prone to strong winds so bulbs could be used for underplanting tough plants such as grasses, Lavenders and Phormiums.
IN EARLIER issues we talked about planning and planting herbaceous borders for spring and early summer colour. Now is the time to add plants which will provide a rich tapestry of late season colour. Here are five suitable varieties readily available for you to buy.....
1) Aster Frikartii ‘Mönch’ - Masses of lavender blue daisies with yellow centres which are produced from August to November.
2) Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ - A very popular herbaceous plant with succulent grey leaves which turn yellow. It also has large flat deep pink heads in September and October which can be dried for winter use.
3) Phlox Paniculata - The scented heads of bloom are briefly produced in August or September but are unforgettable.
4) Nerine Bowdenii - This bulb can be planted now and will flower in October and November. It’s bright pink blooms are amazingly refreshing.
5) Sedum ‘Frosty Morn’ - This autumn flowering plant has small white heads produced over varigated cream and green leaves.
You'll just Lav this idea
IF YOU have a wall with planting space at the top or twin borders either side of a path, why not put them to good use? If your summer bedding borders could do with freshening up, why not plant rows of Lavender to create an informal hedge. The soft silvery leaves provide all year round colour and scent and the gentle spikes of flowers look superb tumbling over the edges of the wall or path. These should be planted around 18 inches apart in a sunny aspect in well drained soil previously dressed with some rooster pellets. Every six feet why not plant a Rosemary instead for added interest and a variation in shape.
Brighter bulbs put the light in sunlight
PLANT summer flowering bulbs in groups in borders now. Some of the most striking include Gladioli and Crocosmias.
Plant these in a well drained soil in a sunny spot and they’ll be sure to set fire to your mid-summer borders
ONE OF my favourite plants in the April garden is Dicentra ‘Bleeding Heart’. The soft green serrated leaves combine beautifully with the arching heads of pink heart shaped flowers. These will add a delicate touch to a shady border planted with drumstick Primulas and Narcissus ‘ Baby Moon’.
SOW seeds of melons, marrows, pumpkins, courgettes and tomatoes in small pots of peat-based compost indoors. These should be kept moist and warm, ideally around 20 degrees celsius. They should emerge quite rapidly and can then be pricked out into individual pots and grown on on a window sill or greenhouse - providing you keep an eye out for night frost. The plants can be set out at the beginning of June in large containers, growbags or even in your cottage garden borders. The latter is particularly courgettes and pumpkins. All of these plants need a warm sunny position with regular feeding during summer.
APRIL begins with the expected showers, some wintry in chilly northerly winds. Thereafter the fine dry spring weather should return with some very warm sunny spells alternating with cloudier, cooler north-easterly breezes. Later in the month some humid thundery weather could occur.
See you next month!
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