Here are some jobs to do just now in the ornamental garden:-
– Scrape away a layer of old compost of permanently potted plants and top dress with fresh compost;
– Cut back perennials left with top growth over the winter;
– Divide overcrowded clumps of herbaceous perennials and replant them;
– Prepare ground for sowing a new lawn or repairing one as soon as the risk of frost has passed;
– Redefine lawn edges with a sharp spade or half-moon cutter;
– Start to mow the lawn on dry days (ensure the cutting blades are raised as high as possible for the first cuts);
– Start to weed beds;
– Plant summer flowering bulbs;
– Prune coloured stemmed Cornus to encourage new growth;
– Continue mulching borders with organic matter before growth starts bursting into life;
– Feed shrubs and roses with an organic fertilizer to encourage them to thrive;
– Tie in climbing and rambling roses, and other climbers that are putting on fresh growth;
– As the soil is warming up – sow hardy annuals, herbs and wild flower seed outdoors.
