John's Garden Diary 02/04/20

While not return to winter, the cold north winds at the start of this week makes one pause before launching into full spring planting mode.

Normally at this time of year the lawn would receive some restorative work in the form of scarifying or at least lawn raking to remove the dead grass and moss. This year the only treatment so far has been a top dressing of ½ oz per sq yd of 30% N. If time and energy permit some hand raking could still be done, but if the rabbits were doing something useful they could be scraping out the dead grass instead of howking out chunks of the verges!

Weeding continues and whilst nearly all post winter weeding has of necessity been of the hand variety, recent drouth has allowed soils to dry up and enabled the much easier hoeing. Keeping the hoe going in dry conditions pays dividends and prevents the harder and less effective alternatives.

Pruning is nearly complete and the two shrubs against the neighbour’s wall illustrate differing techniques. The Weigela on the left has only been lightly trimmed and shaped because it flowers on last year’s growth, while the Phygelius on the right has been cut back hard because it can be a thug. Lavenders have been cut back to the lowest green bud to prevent them becoming leggy.

The Greenhouse is becoming a bit congested with newly divided and potted up Streptocarpus vying for room with Begonia corms being coaxed back into life. Overwintered Agapanthus have been put out in the border – in large pots plunged into soil. Dahlia’s are also starting to sprout under glass and it’s still a bit early to plant out tomato plants.