
Jobs to do in the garden this month…
Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials
Plant bare rhododendron bushes once the threat of frost has passed and the ground is moist
Divide primroses once they have finished flowering
Plant summer flowering bulbs
Tidy up borders, removing established and newly germinating weeds
Cut the old leaves off helebores
Prune your penstemons now
Sow lawn seed now
Tie in climbing roses
Cut back the old foliage from ornamental grasses before growth begins
Look after the birds; clean the feeders and keep them topped up
Deadhead daffodils and other spring bulbs, but leave the foliage to die back naturally
Mow the lawn on dry days
Deadhead hydrangeas before new growth appears. Cut to about one-third of last season’s growth
Tie in new clematis and honeysuckle stems
Feed trees, shrubs, hedges and roses with a balanced slow- release fertiliser
Cut dogwoods, willows, cotinus and paulownia right down to the base to promote vigorous new growth
Apply a layer of mulch around your perennials and biennial plants, trees and shrubs
Prune Forsythia as soon as they have finished flowering, cutting back to strong, young shoots
Sow Wildflower seeds in trays or modules, to produce plants for your own mini-meadow

Gail Sheppard