IN THE GARDEN WITH SARA CUSHING - APRIL
In April 2024 'In the Garden' was not featured. This article orignally featured in March 2023.
For me, the proper start of Spring is when I see the crocus coming up around The Green. Always the yellows first, then the purples. And then the daffodils around the trees come to life, and all planted by lovely people in this beautiful village. It really is the most uplifting sight!
We always seems to get a 'False Spring' though. We go through a warm phase and then a cold snap happens, so I'm not inclined to take protection off the greenhouse, or to unwrap any banana plants just yet! I'm keeping all my seeds warm in the greenhouse with cloches and fleece still. Just in case..and on that note, my Stocks have started coming up!
I love walking into the greenhouse and finding something has germinated!! Stocks are a very underrated annual, and after planting a whole lot into a customer's border last year, I remembered how fab they are. They are drought tolerant and the scent that comes from these, especially with night varieties is quite powerful. Colours range from whites to deep purples so are perfect to fill in any spaces in summer borders!
No summer border is ever complete without lavender, which is something I’ve been chatting about with a couple of my customers recently. Lavender is an essential for pollinating insects and there are some fabulous varieties of English now available. Though all lavenders originate from the Mediterranean, the French are more temperamental, only withstanding temperatures to approx -2⁰c, whereas the English strains can go to as low as -12⁰C. With the unprecedented temperatures we've had this year I’m not considering anything other than properly hardy. During my research, I also found that French lavender is considered a noxious weed in Australia!
https://downderry-nursery.co.uk/ are our amazing local lavender nursery who produce strong varieties to suit our space and environment, and they came up trumps with the impact of flower combined with the hardiness we need. Some of my favourite beautiful, alternative English varieties for you all to consider, should you be planting lavenders this year!
In the Borders
If, like me, you've run out of all available space indoors, then annual seeds can be sown in the borders towards the end of this month. This is where 'Drift Planting' comes in. Obviously a still day is pretty essential, (learnt totally from experience and how not to do it), and a bit of forward thinking helps because ideally, for example, the taller foxgloves and hollyhocks are to the back of the border, antirrhinum and poppies mid border, and calendula and the lower lying plants to the front to maximise impact. The idea is to create a natural-looking effect with annuals weaving in between perennials. It's one of the things I love doing most, because it creates a bit of random chaos in between structure.
Otherwise, overgrown perennials can be lifted, split and replanted to fill in gaps, cornus (dogwood), cotinus (smokebush) and salix (willow) can be pruned and all half hardy and annual flower seeds can be sown indoors, Geranium, cosmos, nasturtiums, begonia, lobelia, pretty much the summer displays are all good to go now.
I've waited ages to do these, having bought the seeds two months ago! And wildflower mixes can be sown outdoors as well now. We're planning a wildflower verge in one particular garden I manage, so I'm very much looking forward to seeing how this will turn out in a couple of months!
Deadheading daffodils and feeding up for next year is essential to ensure nutrients get back into the bulb and ensure a display for the following Spring, and snowdrops can be lifted and split for replanting while they are still green.
Now we can start feeding things! Rhododendron and azaleas benefit from feeding now on with a good ericaceous feed, especially.
In the Veg Patch
So all the potatoes that have been chitted so carefully in egg-boxes are ready to go out! Whether you put them in big pots or trenches they still need to be protected from any late frosts we are still susceptible to for the next month or so.
Carrots and parsnips can go into a well-prepared bed now. This year we've gone for the smaller Chantennay as well as rainbow varieties. My choice of what to plant depends on what will be eaten, and these look amazing on a plate!
Spinach and brassica can be started now indoors, as can the salads. The leafy crops have a good start if planted in March. Do not be too eager to plant the beans just yet! It is still too cold and there is not enough daylight to produce anything other than a leggy seedling which will not be strong enough to give a decent crop.
Keeping an eye on the weather and wishing you all a happy gardening month!