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to encourage early fruitingStart sowing seed of summer bedding and crops that need a long growing season to mature, such as pelargonium, petunia, verbena, salvia, lobelia and begonia
Deadhead winter-flowering pansies and bedding plants, and pick off damaged leavesDivide congested herbaceous perennialsPrune winter jasmine to cut back flowered shootsTransplant shrubs growing in the wrong place while they're dormantPlant lily
floweringSow summer bedding, such as begonias, verbena, lobelia, ageratum, pansy, viola and antirrhinumCrops to sow in heated propagators include tomatoes, aubergines, onions, celery and peppers
Hand pollinate the flowers of peaches and nectarine, with a soft brushCut off hippeastrum flower heads, leaving the stalkSow summer-bedding plants in trays in a heated propagator or in the greenhousePlant dahlia tubers in trays to encourage shoots
Empty your greenhouse and thoroughly clean inside, pressure washing the frame, staging and glazingCut back overwintered fuchsias, and increase frequency of watering to encourage new growthSow summer bedding plantsMonitor temperatures with a max
Couch grass often grows in among cultivated plants. It's a clump-forming perennial that spreads through the soil via underground stems or stolons, and is easily spread by cultivation. It can creep from lawns to infest flower and vegetable beds
lily in a sunny spotPrune ornamental cherries while the weather is hot and dry to reduce the risk of silver leaf diseasePlant colchicums, nerines, sternbergia and autumn crocusesDeadhead geraniums and other bedding plants so they don't waste energy
Raise new mint plantsIf you're already dreaming about sipping a cool mint julep in your summer garden, now's the time to get your mint plants ready for the job. Take cuttings from established mint plants to keep the drinks tray supplied all summer
labour.Move plants from greenhouse to cold framePut pond pumps and fountains back into poolsLay turf or sow new lawns from seedAround the gardenFill gaps in flower beds with primulas and polyanthusPrune forsythia and flowering currantsLeave daffodil
to early summer for best results. Remove winter grime from patios with a pressure washerSow new lawnsSnip plain green shoots off variegated shrubsAround the gardenPlant out perennials in groups of three, five or seven Sprinkle fertiliser around clumps
