It's 12th of April 🌸 2026

Here are your jobs of the month ✅

#startagardenwithus #jobsoftheweek
#jobsofthemonth #springgardening

https://t.me/c/1176713490/112296

Timely Gardening Tips

Order annual plants like geraniums, begonias, and petunias online now for summer bedding and hanging basket displays — it’s your last chance!
Give your greenhouse a thorough scrub with hot soapy water if you haven’t already. This will remove pests and diseases and allow more light to enter.
Prepare beds for the growing season by digging in a 5 cm (or more) layer of compost or well-rotted manure. You can also work in a general-purpose fertiliser such as organic chicken manure or fish, blood and bone.
Check your patio plants aren’t drying out. Warmer weather quickly affects soil moisture levels — try mixing water-storing granules with compost to improve water retention in containers.

In the Flower Garden

Lift and divide established border perennial plants now, such as hostas, to improve vigour and create new plants for your garden.
Pinch out the tips of fuchsia plants and sweet pea shoots to encourage bushy growth this summer.
Divide primroses once they have finished flowering.
Plant rhododendron bushes now the threat of frost has passed and the ground is moist.
Move evergreen trees and shrubs now, provided the soil isn’t frozen or waterlogged.
Feed trees, shrubs and hedges with a balanced, slow-release fertiliser by lightly forking it into the soil surface. Roses, in particular, will greatly benefit from feeding as they come into growth.
Tie in climbing roses.
Check tree stakes and ties to make sure they’re not cutting into the trunk. Loosen any that are too tight to allow the trunk room to expand.
Prune your penstemons now — cut back all the old shoots to the base, provided there is new growth at the bottom. If no new shoots are visible, cut just above the lowest set of leaves.
Finish cutting back any dead foliage on perennials and ornamental grasses (if you haven’t already) to make way for new growth.
Prune forsythia as soon as they have finished flowering, cutting back to strong, young shoots.
Trim winter-flowering heathers once the flowers fade to prevent the plants becoming leggy.
Tie in new honeysuckle and clematis stems while they are putting on growth.
Continue to remove faded flowers from winter pansies to stop them setting seed and encourage more blooms throughout spring.
Deadhead daffodils and tulips as the flowers finish, but leave the foliage intact to die back naturally.
Apply a layer of mulch around perennials, biennials, trees and shrubs before the hot weather arrives. Use organic matter such as well-rotted manure.

In the Vegetable Garden

Prepare vegetable seed beds by removing all weeds.
Dig a 5 cm (or more) layer of compost, well-rotted manure or green waste into the beds.
Cover prepared soil with sheets of black plastic to keep it drier and warmer ready for planting.
Build raised beds to make growing vegetables easier and reduce bending.
Harvest asparagus spears when they are no more than 18 cm tall.
Support pea and bean plants now. Push twiggy sticks around them for quick and easy supports.
Thin carrot seedlings to achieve good-sized carrots. Do this in the evening when fewer carrot flies are around.

In the Fruit Garden

Protect fruit blossom from late frosts by covering with horticultural fleece on cold nights.
Spray the emerging leaves of peach and nectarine trees to prevent peach leaf curl. Sheltering plants from rain will also help reduce the risk.
Mulch fruit trees with well-rotted manure or garden compost, taking care not to mound it up around the trunk.
Top-dress patio fruit trees with fresh compost and a slow-release fertiliser.
Feed raspberry canes, fruit bushes and fruit trees with a slow-release fertiliser around the base to encourage good crops.
Try hand-pollinating peaches and nectarines with a soft-bristled paintbrush for better crops this year.

Garden Maintenance

Sow lawn seed now on well-prepared soil and keep the soil moist while it germinates.
Lay new turf this month for an instant lawn, and keep it moist until established.
Repair any bare patches in your lawn by sowing lawn repair grass seed.
Apply a high-nitrogen fertiliser to your lawn for a strong start to the season.
Apply specialist lawn weed killer wherever moss and weeds are a problem.
Brush away worm casts on dry days.
Mow your lawn more regularly as needed. Lower the mower blades towards the end of the month.
Recut lawn edges to straighten them up.
Install lawn edging to make future maintenance easier.
Aerate compacted areas of lawn by spiking with a garden fork.
Check compost bins to see if any compost is ready to use.
Improve drainage of heavy soils by incorporating plenty of organic matter.
Top up raised beds with compost and good-quality topsoil.
Top-dress containers with fresh compost. If containers are already full, replace the top 5 cm of old compost.
Keep on top of weeding now the weather is warming up. Run a hoe through beds and borders.
Apply weed killer to perennial weeds in paving and patios.
Look out for signs of pests and diseases — early prevention is easier than curing an infestation.
Remove dirt from paths and paving before summer arrives. Use a pressure washer or patio cleaner.
Buy fresh potting compost and store it in a cool, dry place ready for the season ahead.
Invest in water butts and position them under a downpipe to collect rainwater.
Top up bird baths and bird feeding stations to encourage birds into your garden.

From Your Armchair

Keep track of what you have sown and planted in a garden diary — it will help you later in the year.
Give your houseplants some extra care. Warmer weather and longer daylight hours mean they may need more water.
Buy vegetable plants as plugs to save windowsill space and avoid the hassle of sowing seeds from scratch.