April is the midpoint of autumn and one of my most favourite times of year to be out in the garden. I probably say the very same thing at certain other times of the year, for me, April has a laid-back quality all of its own. Usually, it is one of the most perfect times weather-wise to get jobs in the garden done, with a hint of chilly weather in the air, but also a month where no real problems arise from doing little else but sitting in your garden with a nice hot cuppa. However, I would urge you to make the most of it if conditions are good for gardening – cuppa not far away, of course.
Cleaning and tidying should be top of your list. Things like raking up autumn leaves as they begin to fall, cutting back scraggly spring and summer growth and pressure washing any hard surfaces that might get slippery underfoot over the next few months. Lawns, too, warrant a good amount of attention in April with lawn repair and a good autumn feed after a long, hot summer, going hand in hand with preparing it for the winter ahead. A good feed with something containing seaweed is a good option as it will promote stronger roots for the colder months ahead.
Don’t feel like it all has to be work, however, the excitement of spring bulbs around this time of year gives you something to look forward to. In Sydney, you can get away with planting some bulbs right up until the end of May, so there’s still plenty of time to get them in the ground – after you make the tough decision on which ones. And why not take a stroll through your local nursery or garden centre and check out the autumn colour on display? Going through now will allow you to select the exact leaf colour you want for your garden next autumn.
But don’t leave yourself too much to do on the garden maintenance front or you’ll be having second thoughts come winter about why you decided to have an idle April. Sure, daylight saving is gone, but with the weather now milder, a bit cold even, you can spend a glorious day outside getting all those garden jobs ticked off your list.
April jobs to do now:
- Keep on top of weeds
- Rake up autumn leaves
- Clip hedges and topiary
- Weed and Feed lawns
