Woman's Weekly Living Series April 2023

✣ MAKE SURE bird feeders and baths are regularly washed and refilled, and give your hedgehogs some extra goodies – no mealworms, though, as they cause a serious and debilitating metabolic disease. ✣ WASH old plastic pots and seed trays in warm, soapy water so that you can reuse them for new sowings. ✣ TIE IN CLIMBERS on a weekly basis, and also coax a few stems horizontally to fill out your support frame and encourage lots of beautiful blooms throughout the flowering season. ✣ GET RID OF last year’s dead perennial stems. It should also be warm enough to cut back penstemons, but if your garden is exposed, it may pay to wait until later on in spring. ✣ IF YOUR LAWN is looking peaky, you can still give…

When it came to redesigning the front garden, Sue’s first step was to decide how the family were going to use the space. ‘It was a question of whether we wanted a quick dash to the front door, or a leisurely meander with space for planting and a place to sit,’ she recalls. The unhurried option won and, having decided on two separate but linked spaces, her next challenge was to disguise the irregularly shaped site. ‘I chose circular shapes – circles are an excellent means of concealing awkwardly shaped gardens and create calming spaces to be in.’ Thereafter the design evolved in a relaxed style, with the hard landscaping laid in reclaimed bricks to complement the old Suffolk cottage. ‘Any materials used in the garden had to work…

Clematis armandii This clematis is special in that it has both evergreen leaves and large, white flowers that appear in late spring. When the flowers finish, the leaves create a wall of shiny foliage, perfect as a backdrop to a tropical border. This species is vigorous, so train it along support wires to cover a wall or pergola. H4-8m Fritillaria meleagris(Snake’s head fritillary) Deservedly popular, the pretty, purple, nodding chequered bells on thin, slim stems are most effective naturalised in drifts in grass and meadows. Fritillaries will grow in the garden given the right conditions, relishing a cool, damp, moist soil in spring. H30cm Paeonia lactiflora(Herbaceous peony) Herbaceous peonies come in a vast array of colours and shapes. The doubles provide the ‘wow’ factor, and the singles and semi-doubles are…

Once upon a time, most gardens were bordered by hedges. Sadly, many have been replaced by fences or ripped out in the quest for a parking space. But they are easy to put back where they belong. And in the process, you’ll gain a living barrier to noise, wind and pollution, while providing lush, green corridors for wildlife. Fancy footings Embellish a hedge with plants that will nestle in the footings or scramble over the top. Clematis and honeysuckle will weave through and over stems, adding another layer of colour and scent. At the base, spring bulbs, such as daffodils and bluebells, will take advantage of the extra light and flower before a deciduous hedge comes into full leaf. Other options include native hedgerow plants, such as cow parsley,…

New beginnings Tomato and chilli plants have a long growing season, so start these off as soon as you can, but keep them on a sunny windowsill indoors or in a warm greenhouse – if they get cold at night, their growth will be checked. March days can be sunny, but night-time temperatures often plummet, so only sow the hardiest varieties outdoors – onion sets and garlic will be fine. In April, sow mangetout, carrots, broad beans and beetroot, when the soil is warmer. Courgettes, pumpkins and runner beans are super-tender, so sow at the end of April. Early potatoes Fill large containers or potato bags with multipurpose compost to about halfway and mix in a generous handful of Growmore. Place two or three chitted potatoes on top of the…

We’ve packed as many bulbs as possible into this arrangement, plus used euphorbia, violas, two types of narcissus, delicate muscari and a hellebore, as we planted this in autumn. Look for narcissus that are already in flower in your garden centres if planting this up in spring. Once planted, position your window box in a sheltered spot – in the sun is preferable, but it will cope if it’s slightly in shade too. The hellebores and two baby euphorbias will give you instant colour in autumn while the bulbs develop, so leave the arrangement somewhere you can admire it from inside the house. After the window box has finished its display, the hellebore and euphorbia can be planted out in a permanent home in a bed or border. Plant list…