April is the month when the pace picks up in the garden, starting with a sprinkling of green bursting in the hedgerows and ending in full bloom with spring bulbs and perennials taking centre stage!  Its the time for sowing and planting, feeding and pruning, and here are just a few ideas of where to start . . .

1. Plant Mediterranean evergreen shrubs, such as Cistus, Hebe, and Ceanothus now the soil is warmer for better establishment.

2. Give your existing evergreen shrubs a tidy and prune to maintain shape and healthy growth.  Prune out any dead, weak or diseased  areas to encourage strong, healthy growth.  Evergreen shrubs to prune now include Laurus nobilis, Buxus sempervirens, Photinia, Ligustrum, Escallonia, Choisya, Prunus lusitanica and laurocerasus, Camellias (after flowering has finished), Ilex and evergreen Euonymus

3. Prune early flowering shrubs, such as Forsythia and Chaenomeles (after flowering is over) to maintain shape and maximum health for the following year.

4. Trim established lavenders, shortening the shoots by an inch or so and taking out older, untidy shoots.

5. Give your Roses a good feed using a manure mulch, balanced fertiliser of rose feed.

6. Remove faded flowers from daffodils and tulips and allow foliage to die back naturally.  Lift and divide congested spring bulbs, such as snowdrops as they die back and replant for a larger display next year

7. Plant summer flowering bulbs, such as Gladiolus 

8. Give your spring flowering perennials a good tidy, such as Hellebores.

9. Plant out chitted potatoes this month.  Start second early potatoes as the month begins and maincrops half way through the month.  Providing frosts have passed, harden off and plant out vegetables that have been grown under cover, such as courgettes, tomatoes, pumpkins, chillies, cucumbers, runner beans and sweetcorn.

10. Keep containers well watered in spells of dry or windy weather.

11. Remove winter protection from tender plants (keeping an eye on the weather for potential late frosts!)