Jobs for the month

Sowing seeds indoors

Flower seeds can be sown indoors with a 
gentle heat of 15-20C degrees.

Always used a good quality seed sowing compost such as Westland Gro-sure Seed & Cutting at once, sow little and often to avoid hundred of seedlings appearing together.

Plant out from mid-April using a soil growmore fertliser or chicken manure.

Spring colour

Brighten up the borders and containers with spring flowering bedding, primroses, pansies, violas and senettis.

Also spring bulbs daffodils, crocus and snowdrops.

Deadhead all plants regularly to stimulate new flowers. In the case of bulbs, once the flowers have died leave the green leaves to die down on their own helping them to take in energy for next year.

Plant of the month 
- Camellia

Camellias are a stunning spring shrub flowering from mid-January into May, depending on variety and weather. They can be grown in the garden or large containers.

Plant camellias in lime free compost and avoid early morning sun. If the flowering bud gets frozen or very cold the morning sun will warm it up to quickly and the bud with rot off.

Protecting plants from slugs and snails

Hardy perennials die off in the autumn and resurface in the spring. As the new foliage starts to grow these are very tasty to slugs and snails. To prevent damage use slug pellets scattered around the garden. There are also organic slug pellets and copper tape for putting around containers. You can also use wool pellets or coarse grit and coarse stones.