Well, this weather certainly is unpredictable. How cold has it been?! Make sure you have been protecting your tender veg and bedding plants with cloches and fleece. Me? I’m thinking about getting my winter wardrobe out again!
With the cold start to April we are currently having, why not sow a wildflower patch? It will create a lovely splash of colour in your garden. You do not need a lot of room; you can sow them into your flower beds or into planters and pots. As well as being lovely to look at, wildflowers are important to pollinators, insects, birds and other small mammals.
They provide pollinators and insects food from their leaves, pollen and nectar, as well as providing shelter and places to breed. Also, wildflowers become instrumental during winter, as their seeds become a vital source of food for birds and small mammals. If you decide to do this, make sure the area is free from weeds and you can always top up your beds with our SuperSoil to keep the soil nutrient rich.
You cannot beat the fragrance, colour and beauty of Sweet Peas; and now is the perfect time to start planting them out. But do be careful of the current frost we are having, make sure you cover them in cloches or fleece, or leave them in the protection of the greenhouse till it is suitable climate in your area. To ensure they do not grow leggy, pinch the top of shoots to encourage them to grow more shoots. This will also make them to grow more fuller and produce more flower heads.
If you have bought your summer bedding plants now as plugs, these need planting straight away. With the current temperatures, I would recommend potting them first, rather than placing them straight into your flower beds. But make sure it is just one pot size up, if you plant them in a too larger pot they will struggle to establish and create a good quality root system.
The rule of thumb is not to plant out any bedding plants till the risk of frost has passed, this is likely to be towards the end of May. As many of them are not classed as Hardy, frost will severely stunt their grow or even kill them. However, if you plant them out earlier, keep an eye out on the forecast, make sure you protect them with cloches or fleece.
Willie the Worm
