April in The Garden
By Anne Edge-Rowe & Ivor Spade
From Forum
The Magazine of Chester City Council
April in the Garden by Anne Edge-Rowe & Ivor Spade
There was this muttering coming from the bottom of the garden so off I went to investigate and the nearer I got the louder it became, "British Summer Time! Huh! More like Winter time if you ask me!
Call this April it's more like December!!!!" It was Ivor clad in his winter woolies and heavy boots gamely trying to turn over some extremely hard frosty soil ready for planting, although at this rate the planting won't be taking place for another couple of weeks.
If the ground does dry out and warm up he'll be able to lay some turf we've ordered as it usually takes quite well this time of year as well as in the Autumn. He has mentioned putting some weed killer on the patches of lawn that have succumbed to weed now that the grass is beginning to grow quite strongly. Talking of weeds once the frost disappears, tackle any weeds that are shooting through - some can be removed by hoeing and I often use a small hand held sprayer with an adjustable nozzle for spot weeding in the borders.
Although, ground-covering plants work quite well themselves in keeping the weeds down, if you normally have dry soil lady's mantle, euphorbia and ivies are quite good, ferns are equally as good for wet/moist soil and good old periwinkle, heathers and cotoneaster give some low ground cover.
We are going to plant some nettles at the bottom of the garden to attract the butterflies, (Ivor thinks that's why I suggested it but it's the exact place that Pandora leans over to attract Ivor's attention, so she'll get a shock when they start to grow!), buddleia attracts just as many butterflies but then it doesn't sting.
Don't forget - when the daffs die down please don't cut off or bend their leaves just let them fade away and they'll thank you by flowering well next year.
Good gardening
Anne & Ivor
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