April is one of the most exciting months in the garden. Everything is growing fast and the to-do list is long, but the results come quickly. Here in Warwickshire, the warming soil and longer days mean your garden is ready for serious attention after months of dormancy.
First real mow. By now the grass should be growing strongly. Set your mower to a medium height (around 4cm) for the first proper cut. Don't scalp it — short grass struggles in dry spells later. If your lawn has been waterlogged over winter, as many Leamington Spa gardens are on the heavy clay, wait for a dry spell before mowing to avoid compacting the soil.
Sow hardy annuals. Nasturtiums, calendula, cornflowers and poppies can all go straight into the ground now. They'll fill gaps in borders beautifully by June and provide excellent colour through the summer months with very little effort on your part.
Feed everything. Apply a balanced granular feed to borders, roses, and shrubs. This is the single most impactful thing you can do for flower performance this summer. A slow-release fertiliser applied now will fuel growth right through to autumn.
Stake tall perennials. Get supports in place for delphiniums, peonies and other tall plants before they get too big. It's much harder to stake a flopping plant in June. Hazel twigs pushed into the ground work brilliantly and look natural as the foliage grows up through them.
Deal with weeds early. Annual weeds are small and easy to hoe out now. Leave them another month and they'll be much harder to manage. Little and often is the key — ten minutes with a hoe each week saves hours of back-breaking work later in the season.
Plant out summer bedding. After mid-April in the Midlands, the risk of hard frost drops significantly. Start hardening off and planting out tender bedding plants. Keep some fleece handy though, as late frosts can still catch us out in Warwickshire.
Need a hand getting your garden into shape this spring? We offer one-off visits and regular maintenance — call us on 07904 174399.