Helen's monthly choice - April
Helen Derrin, Crocus plant doctor
Last updated March 2025
We have had a pretty good start to spring, and now the clocks have gone forward we can all get out there after work and get stuck in. As soon as the temperatures rise another notch or two there will be no stopping the plants too, so now is the best time to get the upper hand with weeds. You should also make sure that the plants you love get all the encouragement they need by giving them a good feed. If you have them, compost bins should be emptied onto the beds and dug in, and then the beds can be dressed with some general purpose fertiliser. Now is the perfect time to plant as the soil is starting to get warm, so make sure any big gaps in the borders are filled with some of your favourites. With all the tender new shoots coming through, keep an eye out for slugs and snails, and have a sheet or two of frost fleece handy, as you won’t want all that soft new growth getting scorched by a hard frost. The lawn will need attention too, and should get its first application of feed and weed and a clip at a high setting. It’s going to be a busy month.
