Some seasonal advice after a long, cold and wet winter

The prolonged cold and wet winter, and very late arrival of spring, shows just how difficult it is to be precise when giving gardening tips and advice.

As I sit here writing the May / June calendar (watch this space, due to be published at the beginning of May), it occurs to me that it has been so cold, and plants are all so late shooting this year, that there is still time to do many of the tasks normally covered off in March and April – pruning, mulching, and fertilising for example.

Likewise, some jobs have just not been possible yet – weeding for example has proved particularly difficult thus far, as the weeds are only just beginning to appear (not such a bad problem to have methinks, although I’m sure they will be in full swing by the time May comes around!)

Lawns have had a tough winter and the rain will have washed a lot of nutrients out of the soil, so even if you don’t normally bother with a spring feed of your lawn and borders, it might be a good idea this year, just to give them an extra helping hand.

Despite all the rain, we have also had periods of cold drying winds, so a gentle fork over of the soil will help to remove the surface “pan”, and improve soil structure and drainage.

Photo credits: timo_w2s, Daveybot