Ask a garden designer: What do I do in the garden in April - The garden April is transformed and fully awake after the quiet winter months, and while the weather is still be variable, as the saying goes, "April showers bring flowers in May. So enjoy all the rain that comes your way with confidence, and also enjoy the spring bloom flower and fragrance of many flowers of trees, shrubs and plants. In terms of working on your patch, it is a season for sowing, pruning, replanting and restructuring.
Enjoy the flowering cherries
The streets in the cities, as well as many parks and gardens throughout the country, are filled in April with the heavenly view of the cherry blossoms. In Japan, people make pilgrimages from all over just to see the beautiful flower. You can not have a garden without a beautiful flowering Prunus . Not only you will love every spring with delicate petals on varieties with single flowers or double, white or pink, deliciously suspended in clusters of narrow branches, but many have also wonderful color of autumn leaves.
Prunus can be planted throughout the year. They will not be bare roots at this time of year, but you can buy a year or two trees to plant in pots instead. They need sunlight and should not be waterlogged. Select vigorous "Ukon" or the vault 'Shirotae', or perhaps Kanzan with dark pink double flowers.
The streets in the cities, as well as many parks and gardens throughout the country, are filled in April with the heavenly view of the cherry blossoms. In Japan, people make pilgrimages from all over just to see the beautiful flower. You can not have a garden without a beautiful flowering Prunus . Not only you will love every spring with delicate petals on varieties with single flowers or double, white or pink, deliciously suspended in clusters of narrow branches, but many have also wonderful color of autumn leaves.
Prunus can be planted throughout the year. They will not be bare roots at this time of year, but you can buy a year or two trees to plant in pots instead. They need sunlight and should not be waterlogged. Select vigorous "Ukon" or the vault 'Shirotae', or perhaps Kanzan with dark pink double flowers.
Claudia De Yong Garden Design
Divide lilies
you may notice that the water lilies grew out of their baskets and you will see a large rhizome, or root mass, drag. Remove the plant from the pot, soak the soil and, using a sharp knife, divide the rhizome in thick sections, so that everyone has a shot.
Dispose of old pieces and replant them in baskets with roots down in fresh aquatic compost, layering up with a coarse grain. You can use a wire hoop to hold the piece of rhizome in the pot.
Discover ways to bring water in your garden
you may notice that the water lilies grew out of their baskets and you will see a large rhizome, or root mass, drag. Remove the plant from the pot, soak the soil and, using a sharp knife, divide the rhizome in thick sections, so that everyone has a shot.
Dispose of old pieces and replant them in baskets with roots down in fresh aquatic compost, layering up with a coarse grain. You can use a wire hoop to hold the piece of rhizome in the pot.
Discover ways to bring water in your garden
Claudia Yong garden design
Fill your beds with "jewels" Alpine
alpine plants are like little jewels in the garden, and can be grown in tubs or sunny beds against the wall of a house, as in this photo taken at Hampton Court. April is the ideal month for planting a new bed of Alpines, or even planting in high pots in a greenhouse or on a windowsill, since so many Alpines are blooming now and give an instant effect.
Remember Alpines as good drainage, so make sure that if you use a container, water can escape. Use a mixture of Alpine compost, garden soil equal parts, coarse and coconut compost. Spread a layer of coarse grain on the surface once planted.
alpine plants are like little jewels in the garden, and can be grown in tubs or sunny beds against the wall of a house, as in this photo taken at Hampton Court. April is the ideal month for planting a new bed of Alpines, or even planting in high pots in a greenhouse or on a windowsill, since so many Alpines are blooming now and give an instant effect.
Remember Alpines as good drainage, so make sure that if you use a container, water can escape. Use a mixture of Alpine compost, garden soil equal parts, coarse and coconut compost. Spread a layer of coarse grain on the surface once planted.
Beertje Vonk Artist
Sow spring vegetables
the growing season starts hectic onions and salad, lettuce, peas, beans and radishes can all be sown outside now frost risk is low. Sow your seeds little and often to avoid an overabundance of products simultaneously. Remember to thin out when the seedlings are large enough to be manipulated or you'll end up with straggly plants that will not crop well. Make sure to water the young plants regularly.
the growing season starts hectic onions and salad, lettuce, peas, beans and radishes can all be sown outside now frost risk is low. Sow your seeds little and often to avoid an overabundance of products simultaneously. Remember to thin out when the seedlings are large enough to be manipulated or you'll end up with straggly plants that will not crop well. Make sure to water the young plants regularly.
MJ McCabe-Garden Design
tie in climbing roses and clematis
climbing and roses need endearing hikes - by training shoots horizontally, you will reduce the flow of sap, and in doing so will cause more side shoots to develop along the shaft, which ultimately means more flowers. Too often you see roses atop a factory where they can not be seen or smelt.
Clematis shoots also benefit from being linked so that they do not take over other plants.
climbing and roses need endearing hikes - by training shoots horizontally, you will reduce the flow of sap, and in doing so will cause more side shoots to develop along the shaft, which ultimately means more flowers. Too often you see roses atop a factory where they can not be seen or smelt.
Clematis shoots also benefit from being linked so that they do not take over other plants.
Sarah Naybour Design
to move free seeders
Foxgloves, among other plants, freely self-seed across borders and can be a nuisance in the wrong place. But you can easily transplant them into another area of the garden at this time of the year and they will still flower later. They have very fragile roots, so carefully lift and water wells.
Foxgloves, among other plants, freely self-seed across borders and can be a nuisance in the wrong place. But you can easily transplant them into another area of the garden at this time of the year and they will still flower later. They have very fragile roots, so carefully lift and water wells.
Joanne Alderson Design
Cut your lavender
I always wondered when carve lavender to stop searching leggy. I like to cut English lavender, such as 'Hidcote', very slightly at the end of all shoots in April followed by a good chop August. This may sound harsh, but it will be good for the plant, keeping a compact center, which means it will be less likely to open. With French lavender, cut in June -. But not too severely
Be inspired by other ideas for spring cleaning your outdoor space
I always wondered when carve lavender to stop searching leggy. I like to cut English lavender, such as 'Hidcote', very slightly at the end of all shoots in April followed by a good chop August. This may sound harsh, but it will be good for the plant, keeping a compact center, which means it will be less likely to open. With French lavender, cut in June -. But not too severely
Be inspired by other ideas for spring cleaning your outdoor space
Sage ecological landscape and nursery
plant strawberries for a summer party
There are three varieties strawberry. The small alpine or wild strawberry, such as "Mignonette"; types of summer fruit, such as 'Cambridge Favourite', and perpetual varieties such as "Fine", which maintain good crop in the fall.
When planting, put a lot of well-rotted manure into the soil. Do not plant them too deep or too high. Use a bell and the fruits develop, put straw under the fruit to prevent rot when in contact with the fruit of the soil moist. Some varieties produce runners, so remove them for better fruit.
There are three varieties strawberry. The small alpine or wild strawberry, such as "Mignonette"; types of summer fruit, such as 'Cambridge Favourite', and perpetual varieties such as "Fine", which maintain good crop in the fall.
When planting, put a lot of well-rotted manure into the soil. Do not plant them too deep or too high. Use a bell and the fruits develop, put straw under the fruit to prevent rot when in contact with the fruit of the soil moist. Some varieties produce runners, so remove them for better fruit.
Southern Living Plant Collection
Divide agapanthus plant
Many of us grow these wonderful African lilies in pots in this country, as they like to have their roots tightened. However, they can get congested, so for better display, divide the plant now.
To do this, literally chopping the plant into sections with a spade and make sure each division has a couple of points of growth. You can also plant new crowns now :. Two inches below the soil in a sunny or pot
Many of us grow these wonderful African lilies in pots in this country, as they like to have their roots tightened. However, they can get congested, so for better display, divide the plant now.
To do this, literally chopping the plant into sections with a spade and make sure each division has a couple of points of growth. You can also plant new crowns now :. Two inches below the soil in a sunny or pot
Claudia De Yong Garden Design
Prune your fig tree
most of us do have a large greenhouse, like this one in West Dean gardens, in which to house a fig tree - but we can have a figure in the garden and are often uncertain how to prune. If the branches cross or the tree has lost its shape, prune branches irrelevant. All the suckers at the bottom of the tree should also be eliminated. Remove branches that are close to the main stem, too, because they yield no fruit. Cut the rest of the branches by about a quarter back to ensure better fruit.
Tell us ...
What do you do in your garden this month? We would like to hear about your progress or see your photos in the comments below.
most of us do have a large greenhouse, like this one in West Dean gardens, in which to house a fig tree - but we can have a figure in the garden and are often uncertain how to prune. If the branches cross or the tree has lost its shape, prune branches irrelevant. All the suckers at the bottom of the tree should also be eliminated. Remove branches that are close to the main stem, too, because they yield no fruit. Cut the rest of the branches by about a quarter back to ensure better fruit.
Tell us ...
What do you do in your garden this month? We would like to hear about your progress or see your photos in the comments below.