Gardening Tips for April

What to Sow and Plant in April

• April is the perfect time to sow winter vegetable seeds such as parsnips, carrots, and Brussels sprouts, ensuring you have home-grown produce for your Christmas dinner. It’s also your last opportunity to sow chillies and tomatoes from seed, so act quickly to avoid missing out.
• Brighten your garden by sowing flower seeds like marigolds, petunias, sweet peas, cosmos, sunflowers, lavender and field poppies. Hardy annuals such as nasturtiums and cornflowers can be sown directly into borders for easy colour.

Lawn Care: April’s Focus

• Dust off your lawnmower and give your grass its first cut of the year, keeping the blades high for the initial mow to avoid stressing the lawn. If your lawn looks tired, scarify it using a spring-tine rake to clear moss and debris, allowing more light and air to reach the grass.
• From mid-April, sow new lawns or re-seed bare patches on prepared ground, or lay new turf for quicker results.

Flowers to Plant & Grow

Beds & Borders

• Plant evergreen Aubretia and Saxifrage for lasting colour in your beds and borders. Hardy annuals like nasturtiums and marigolds add vibrancy between existing plants, and sweet peas can be planted out now - tie them to wigwam supports as they grow.
• Continue planting pot-grown hedges, trees and shrubs to add structure and create habitats for wildlife in your garden.

Pots & Containers

• Refresh your tubs and baskets by replacing winter bedding with spring flowering plants such as pansies and violas. Towards the end of April, plant up hanging baskets with summer bedding for a fabulous display.
• Alpines in troughs make lovely patio features - top-dress with grit and keep foliage clean for best results.

Fruit & Veg

• Sow a variety of vegetable seeds directly into the ground, including carrots, parsnips, salads, broad beans, peas, and beetroot. If the weather turns chilly, start tender crops like cucumbers and courgettes under cover before transplanting outside once the risk of frost has passed.
• Plant soft fruit such as raspberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, and strawberries, either in the ground or containers. Don’t forget to plant any remaining potatoes once their shoots are ready, and prep your soil with compost or manure for the best results.
• Short on space? Grow tomatoes, strawberries, onions, and chillies in containers, and keep herbs on windowsills for easy access.

Indoor Gardening

• Growing from plug plants is ideal if you missed sowing seeds earlier in the season. Pot young plants in a warm, frost-free greenhouse or conservatory, and prick out and pot on seedlings when the first true leaves appear.
• Sow tender annuals in a heated propagator for early blooms, or, if you don’t have a greenhouse, add houseplants to your home.

General Maintenance

• Keep your garden tidy for easier growing by weeding regularly, jet-washing patios, and clearing debris. Prune summer flowering shrubs and mulch borders, hedges, trees, and bulbs with slow-release fertiliser.
• Now's a good time to tie in climbing roses and ramblers, apply rose food, and support spring growth with sticks.

Looking After Wildlife

• Plant wildlife-friendly flowers to support pollinators like bees and butterflies, and scatter wildflower seed packs for a meadow effect. Lavender, heather, foxgloves, and herbs are excellent choices for attracting pollinators.
• Feed birds with seed and feeders, hang birdhouses for shelter, and add a birdbath for clean drinking water to encourage wildlife in your garden.