Job of the week

Divide and replant snowdrop bulbs

Snowdrops look stunning in carpets around the base of shrubs and in borders and are a welcome sign that spring is on its way. If you want to spread them around your garden then now's the time to lift and divide clumps and replant your new plants wherever you want.
Takes just 30 minutes for a good-sized clump

Flowers

  • Prune back shoots on hydrangeas
  • Trim all foliage from barrenwort (Epimedium)
  • Plant lilies in pots

Fruit & veg

  • Plant shallots outside into well-prepared soil
  • Sow mustard and cress in a pot on the kitchen windowsill
  • Use netting and bird scarers to protect fruit bushes

Greenhouse

  • Hand pollinate the flowers of peaches and nectarine
  • Cut off hippeastrum flower heads, leaving the stalk
  • Sow summer-bedding plants in trays

Around the garden

  • Fix nesting boxes for birds to suitable trees
  • Get petrol mowers and power tools serviced
  • Keep indoor azaleas well-watered with rainwater