Let’s celebrate this time of year for the sheer joy that it brings, with colourful daffodils and green shoots aplenty. These bright and sunny days stir up our gardening juices as we rush to the garden centre, fill up a trolley and dust off the lawn mower.
But although the excitement should not be hampered, and I relish the idea of everyone’s fingers turning a healthy shade of green, let’s stay sensible: we’re not out of the woods yet. The surge of life outside is a sign that there’s plenty to be getting on with in the garden, and we can make the most of this time in many ways.
However, Jack Frost is merely taking a short hiatus, and those cold, grey days can return at a moment’s notice. Have some fun in the garden this month, but stay measured, as summer is not here yet.
The following are some jobs to tick off your list this month.
Plant summer-flowering bulbs
Garden centres and nurseries are full of summer-flowering bulbs, which can be started off in pots now, ensuring a strong plant in a couple of months’ time. Summer-flowering bulbs feel like the poor relation compared to their spring-flowering counterparts, but when we get to the height of summer, a time when gardens can lack colour in the scorching sun, they come to the rescue with their vibrant blooms.
Dahlias, cannas, lilies, begonias, galtonias and calla lilies all can be started off in pots of peat-free compost, then kept somewhere bright and frost-free: an unheated greenhouse, porch or conservatory is ideal.
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