Prune alyogyne
even if it means sacrificing a few flowers.
Lift tulip
bulbs when the foliage has yellowed and store in a cool, dry
place.
Provide a
cat-proof hanging birdbath to attract birds to the garden.
Be sure there are ample twiggy perches nearby for preening.
Plant ground
covers to discourage summer weed growth.
Dead-head roses
and daisy plants to promote more flowering.
Cut back
flowered stems of Euphorbia caracias to ground level
before they self-seed all over the garden. Watch out for the
white sap which flows freely from the cut plant material. It
is poisonous and can cause skin irritation in some people.
Trim up azaleas
with hedge clippers after flowering. They respond well to
pruning.
Remove spent
flower spikes of ajuga.
Fertilise
everything.
Protect
strawberries from snail and slug attack.
Cut off spent
flower heads of hellebores - they will have already spread
copious seed.
Keep
dead-heading ranunculi to just above the first set of leaves
below the flower. This will allow more buds to appear.
A concerted
effort to remove weeds now will prevent seeding & reduce the
weed problem over the summer.
Prune back
jasmine vines especially Jasminum polyanthum very
hard. Vines can become bulky and full of dead material which
is a potential fire trap.
Plant marigolds
amongst vegetables to help mask their smell and confuse and
discourage pests such as cabbage white butterflies from
laying their eggs.
Sharpen mower
blades.
Dead-head
rhododendrons.
Sow sweet corn.
Plant dahlia
tubers.
Prepare
bird-netting for fruit trees.
Shake seed pods
of aquilegias over areas where you want to encourage
self-seeding.
