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April Garden Life by Christine Robson
Lawn care
If you needed to apply moss killer
to your lawn during March, then
providing that the grass and weeds
are growing, now is the time to apply
‘weed and feed’, on dry grass, but
moist soil, on a fi ne still day.
If, after a week or so we haven’t had
any rain then you will need to water
the lawn. Do not cut immediately
before or just after applying weed
and feed.
Pruning
Prune hard Fuchsias by cutting all
stems down to two or three shoots
above ground level. Some people
do cut them to soil level, then they
shoot from the root base.
Remove last year’s heads from
mop head Hydrangeas down to the
1st healthy pair of leaves that are
beginning to shoot. If you have a
lace cap variety, these dead heads
can be removed in the Autumn.
Hydrangea Petiolaris (climber)
does not need regular pruning.
Caryopteris can also take quite a
hard pruning this month.
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Spraying Roses
I am proud to say that until ten years
ago I had never sprayed anything at
all in my garden, either to kill weeds
or control pests. When I retired, I
had more time to look, survey the
damage, and make a decision.
I now use a weed killer on my paths
twice a year, and this year I will be
using lily beetle killer on our new
lilies (It is very time consuming
to squash these little devils when
they appear and I am told they
will indeed hear my footsteps
approaching on the concrete slabs!).
Moving onto rose bushes. They can
be sprayed to prevent several types
of pests. One of the most common
being the Aphid (Greenfl y), also
of course the dreaded black spot.
When the leaves are fully open they
can be sprayed with a deterrent.
Look in your nearest shop that sells
these chemicals. I am not going to
name a brand as some have been
removed from the market in the last
few years. In my rose book I have
about twenty named problems with
roses. There are probably more. We
do still love them though don’t we?
I will fi nish this paragraph by saying
that organic sprays are very much
available.
Here is a message for those of you
who follow the story of my ducks (I
do not have a pond).
Much to my delight at the very end
of February after several months
absence they visited me again. I
have reason to believe they also
visit other gardens in my area. After
waddling up the driveway, across
the grass, they then wait under the
window until I appear.
Much quacking took place until I
appeared with the mixed corn and a
large bowl of water.
They now come everyday. Twice a
day!
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