It's take Off Time

Spring is definitely in the air, says Will Clark, meaning more time to spend in the garde

- Will Clark

April will no doubt bring some of its famous showers but, whatever the weather, the transition into spring is an exciting time of year, with so much going on in the garden and more daylight hours to enjoy it.

With daffodils and tulips leading the way, our gardens are rapidly brought to life. Winter flowering shrubs such as hamamelis (witch hazel) and viburnum are fading now but are quickly replaced by blooms of forsythia, daphne, magnolia and rhododendron.

Spring is all about bright colours and scent in the garden, so now is a great time to freshen up borders. Before adding anything new, remember to remove any weeds you can see, turning over the soil as you go, helping to prevent further unwanted regrowth.

You’ve probably divided your earlier flowering perennials by now but there is still time to divide clumps of late-flowering perennials such as helenium and rudbeckia. If they haven’t been divided for a few years, these plants will certainly get a boost from being split and replanted, and they’ll have time to settle back in before they flower.