As we enter April, everything starts to feel a bit more hopeful. The days are longer, the world looks greener, and if we keep our fingers crossed, hopefully the sun will come out to play too.

With spring finally arriving, it’s time to get back out into the garden and start tackling the jobs you’ve been putting off. April is a great time to take stock of what needs to be done to get the garden back in shape after winter, but it’s also the time to look ahead. Time spent wisely in the garden now will reap the benefits in months to come, and ensure you have a glorious garden over the summer months and beyond.

But, where to start? If you’re looking hopelessly at the weeds and overgrown beds wondering how on earth to turn your outdoor space into an oasis, then we’ve got some handy tips to help you get the most out of your garden this April.

Repair your lawn

If the winter’s left your grass looking a little lacklustre, then April is a great time to work on repairing it so it’ll soon be back to its verdant self. For any patchy areas, sow grass seeds now. Prepare the lawn by removing weeds and scarifying the soil to loosen it. Then, use a lawn feed to help promote grass growth. Once you’ve done this, it’s time to plant. Mow the grass, then moisten the soil and sprinkle the grass seed evenly. (You should aim for about 35g per square metre, however, for patchier areas you can apply 50g per square metre). Water your lawn after reseeding, and continue to mow as normal.

Tackle the weeds

It’s a gardening job nobody enjoys, but an essential one nonetheless, especially if you want to give your garden a fighting chance of blooming this year. Around this time of year, you’ll start to see dandelions springing up in your lawn, so it’s a good idea to tackle these now to avoid them taking over. The same goes for those pesky weeds that are in your borders and beds - left to their own devices, they’ll take over and hamper the chances of your budding plants flourishing, so pull them up now (make sure to get the root too).

Grow your greens

If you’ve been longing for your own supply of vegetables, then now’s the time to plant them up and make that dream a reality. If you’re growing summer vegetables from seed, then you’ll need to harden them off first, by gently introducing them to the outdoors and to sunlight. Try leaving them outside for short bursts of time, and eventually you can increase this to allow them to be outside day and night.

Let it sow

Now’s a great time to sow seeds, especially if you’re looking for some colour in the garden this summer. Direct sow wildflower mixes - they’re ideal for attracting bees and butterflies, and will give the garden a lovely variety of colours too. It’s also the time to sow hardy annuals (poppies, sunflowers and marigolds). Before you sow, prep your soil to make sure it’s well-conditioned and providing the best nutrients to your seeds.

Plant out sweet peas

If you sowed sweet pea seeds in autumn, then the likelihood is they’ll be ready to plant in the ground this month. You’ll need to be sure the last frost has passed, and that you’ve hardened the seedlings by introducing them to the outside, bit by bit for a couple of weeks before you plan to plant them. Once they’re good to go, choose a spot in full sun where they’ll thrive, and plant them about 20cm apart.

Set your sights on summer

Take advantage of the soil beginning to warm up, by planting some summer flowering bulbs this month. Gladioli, Cannas and Alliums can all be planted directly into the ground, and will make for an impressive display come summer. Group the bulbs together with at least six for maximum impact.

Back to the roots

April is the ideal month to plant trees and shrubs in the garden - planting in spring gives them a chance to grow and flourish during the summer months, and they’ll be better prepared for winter. If there’s any trees or shrubs that need a little relocation, now’s the time to consider doing this, too. Choose a cooler day to avoid the roots drying out, and be aware that it may take a little time for your plant to adjust to its new surroundings. Much like us, moving can be stressful, and plants can experience shock. Ensure that the soil is well watered before moving the plant, and afterwards continue to water thoroughly. It’s also a good idea to lay down a thick mulch of compost or bark to help conserve moisture.

Charlie Bond - Gardenscape's Constant Gardener

St Swithun’s day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St Swithun’s day if thou be fair
For forty days ‘twill rain nae mare

Well, 15 July this year certainly was dry and fine, but by now, most gardeners are probably hoping that the old rhyme is totally wrong. It’s been a stressful time for gardens but, even though lawns look particularly brown and sorry for themselves, they will quickly recover. Best to leave them alone now and make sure to give them some extra scarifying and top-dressing care in September, when the forty days of drought should be over.

Now would be a good time to plant some autumn-flowering bulbs – for example the lovely autumn crocuses (Colchicum autumnale) or the blue-violet Crocus speciosus. They like well-drained soil and many gardeners like to plant them in soil with some grit content. Gardenscape provides various standard mixes of topsoil, compost and grit and are also happy to create a custom mix to your own requirements – just ask!

Sternbergia (also known as winter daffodil) is another candidate for planting now. It will provide bright yellow flowers on a contrasting background of dark green leaves – just the sort of tonic you might need when the nights draw in.

Bearded irises like a dry summer, so they should be delighted with this year. They can be planted between now and October and, if you have a clump that has been in place for three or four years, it can be divided now that its main flowering is over.

Otherwise, just keep watering those containers, but be sensible and make the most of scarce water resources by watering in the evenings, to minimise losses by evaporation. Also, the plants will prefer a good drenching every now and then to a constant dribble, which encourages roots to feel their way upwards where they risk drying out.

And don’t worry too much about St. Swithun (or Swithin). It’s probably just an old superstition anyway...