April is a month full of promise in the garden. Days get longer, weather gets warmer, and the garden starts waking up again, rewarding you with fresh blooms and budding growth. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just starting out, April provides plenty to do. Here’s your friendly guide to essential April gardening tasks:
- Sow Hardy Annuals, Herbs, and Wildflowers Outdoors – this month is perfect for sowing hardy annuals directly into your garden beds.
- Protect Vulnerable Shoots from Slugs and Snails – April showers bring more than flowers—they also encourage slugs and snails. Protect your young plants like hostas, delphiniums, lettuce, and emerging dahlias. Use eco-friendly methods such as crushed eggshells or wool pellets around plants, or consider beer traps to safely control these hungry pests.
- Deadhead Spring Bulbs and Bedding – Daffodils, tulips, pansies, and violas all benefit from deadheading, which redirects the plant’s energy back into growth rather than seed production.
- Prune Your Hydrangeas – Cut back any remaining old flower heads and dead or damaged stems down to the first healthy pair of buds. This helps your hydrangea grow stronger and encourages new, vigorous blooms come summertime.
- Sow Sunflowers – sunflowers are a joyful addition to any garden, and April is ideal for sowing sunflower seeds directly outdoors. Choose a sunny spot and plant your seeds about half an inch deep.
- Last Chance to Prune Roses – if you haven’t pruned your roses yet, now’s the last chance. Remove dead, diseased, or damaged branches, and prune back to healthy buds. This ensures healthier plants and more abundant flowering later in the season.
- Sow a New Lawn (Including Clover!) – April’s the month to sow grass seed, and adding clover can be beneficial. Scatter grass and clover seed evenly, lightly rake in, and keep the area consistently moist.
- Cut Away Old Fern Fronds – ferns are beginning their lush new growth now, so snip away old, brown fronds at their base. Clearing these out makes room for fresh fronds to unfurl gracefully and gives your garden a cleaner, tidier look.
- Monitor and Control Aphids – young shoots and tender leaves are magnets for aphids. Regularly inspect plants like roses, beans, and broad beans, gently wiping away any aphids before they multiply rapidly.
- Keep Feeding the Birds – while spring is definitely arriving, our feathered friends still need your help. Keep bird feeders stocked with seeds, nuts, and fat balls, and don’t forget fresh water.
Oh and before I forget, have an Easter Egg Hunt!
