FLOWERS

Plant Gladioli's in a sunny part of the garden, in well drained soil

Plant Alpines for spring and early summer flowers

Feed all plants in the garden using a slow-release fertiliser to improve plant flowering and growth

Remove dead flowers from spring bulbs and feed plants with fertiliser

Wait until the leaves of Daffodils and other bulbs have gone brown before you trim them

Construct garden pools and plant Water Lilies or other pond plants

Sprinkle Rose fertiliser around Roses

Begin spraying Roses to control pests and diseases

Bedding plants can be grown from seeds

Cut back any tall old stems of Buddlea (Butterfly Bush)

Use slug and snail control to protect the plant's new shoots

Late frosts can still cause damage to Camellia and Magnolia buds so use garden fleece to protect plants on frosty nights

FRUIT

Mulch fruit trees with manure or bark

Start a spray programme on Apple and other fruit trees to control pests and diseases

Strawberries need to be planted as soon as possible

Pinch out badly placed shoots on wall trained fruit trees to prevent scarring of stems

If your Gooseberries suffered from mildew last year spray with fungicide now

VEGETABLES

Plant out onion sets or garlic cloves

Plant potatoes now

Many outdoor vegetables can now be grown from seed

Thin out over crowded vegetable seedlings towards the end of the month

Plant tomatoes in unheated greenhouses

LAWNS

Re-seed or re-turf bald patches of lawn

Cut grass with the lawn mower blades set high for the first few times

Spread lawn fertiliser or combined weed and feed to produce a good lawn

PONDS

Feed fish if they are near the surface

GENERAL TASKS

Clean paths and patio areas so that they look good and are not slippery

Use a liquid feed on any clumps of bulbs to strengthen them before their leaves die back

Trim off the dead flower heads from winter/spring flowering heathers

Plants which are at their best in April

Bergenia (Elephant's Ears)

Dicentra (Bleeding Heart)

Doronicum (Leopard's Bane)

Saxifraga (Saxifrage)

Berberis (Barberry)

Camellia

Magnolia

Pieris

Prunus (Flowering Cherry Tree)

Rhododendron