Towards the end of April is the best time for planting out summer flowering bulbs like gladioli. If planting in heavy clay, don’t forget to put some coarse grit in the planting hole and place the corms on top of this. The grit will improve drainage as these types of bulbs prefer well drained soil.

Spring bedding plants will be past its best by the end of April, however don’t be tempted to pull them up as summer bedding plants cannot be planted out safely for a few weeks yet. Pulling the spring bedding plants up will only allow weeds time to establish in the bare soil.

Lawns should now be mowed regularly, however if the grass is long, don’t cut it short, otherwise the grass will become yellow, weakened and unsightly. Best thing to do is to mow the lawn with the blades at the highest level and then eventually lower the blades during the spring and summer months.