IT IS TIME TO GET GOING

With a good stretch in the days and longer spells of sunshine it is time to catch up on all the jobs in the garden. If not already done, roses should be pruned immediately. Contrary to some of the old gardener's tales there is no science or secrets to the pruning of roses. If you don't know how, just cut them about two or three inches from the base give them a good feed of rose fertilizer and watch them grow.

Clematis should be pruned immediately about twelve inches from the base, only those that flower after midsummer are pruned now. The early flowering ones should be left until after flowering otherwise you will get no flowers.

Lawns can be trimmed when the weather permits as it is actively growing already and will be difficult to manage if you let it get too long.

Summer flowering bulbs should be planted as soon as possible to give them a good start and help build up energy for next years flowers. Begonias can be started in trays of damp peat and placed under the greenhouse staging, the potting shed or any frost free area. They don't need light until the buds are visible, then they should be given full light to stop them growing spindly week stems.

Lilies should be planted as soon as possible after purchase as they resent drying out and take a long time to recover from such treatment. You will notice that they are packed in sawdust in the display boxes at the garden centre. This is an effort to keep them damp for the duration between lifting and replanting.

Hardy cyclamen tubers are a disaster when bought as dried up tubers at this time of the year and seldom ever recover to make decent flowering plants. They are better bought as potted plants now or as dry tubers in June and July, the proper planting season for these plants.

Another important job to do immediately is weeding. Hairy bitter cress seedlings that are coming up all over the garden can germinate, flower, and set seed in just 21 days. So if you don't deal with them now you will have a problem all summer. I find that if you get the first batch early in the spring before they get a chance to set seed, most of your problems with this nuisance of a weed will be solved.

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