What a spring we have had. After all the snow, a monumental input by staff and volunteers managed to get the property open for Easter. But the weather has been so cold since then it has held up all the daffodils, Narcissi and other bulbs. The last few days of mild weather has really brought things on though and the bulbs are bursting into flower.

The late growing season has been very useful to us, as we have been trying to catch up on a lot of winter work we had not done.

We have been busy clearing trees and branches felled by the snow, pruning roses, apples and our lime trees, when we would normally be mowing lawns.

Because of the cold weather, no one has been gardening. Many growers have been unable to sell their plants to garden centres and have been dumping them on the compost heap. Look out for plant bargains to brighten up your garden.

Our greenhouses are full to bursting with seedlings and we are waiting for them to grow large enough to be put out into our cold frames. That will enable us to space out other seedlings, pot up some into larger pots and sow more seeds.

In your greenhouses and frames, look out for slugs, snails and fungus diseases that damage or rot off the young seedlings.

Plants like sweet peas, chrysanthemums and young herbaceous perennial seedlings are pretty hardy and can be planted out now, as can many vegetable plants. Sow some vegetables outdoors and salads too. Radishes are a great plant to get children to start growing. Don’t waste lettuce seedlings that you thin out, they can be planted out to give a later crop. It is not too late either to sow hardy annual seeds directly where they are to grow.

Tomato and cucumber plants are in the garden centres now. They can be planted in the greenhouse now, or potted on into larger pots. Wait a while before planting outdoors.

As their shoots emerge, Potatoes should be earthed up. This protects them from late frosts and the potatoes will grow in the dark. Green potatoes that develop in the light are poisonous.

If you have not fed your lawns yet, now the ground is moister it will be a good time. Time too to consider controlling any moss, by raking, or with a moss killer.

Stake herbaceous perennial plants now whilst they are still small and don’t forget vegetables, like peas and beans, may need support too.

Late in the month, the spring bedding can be stripped out and composted. Tulip bulbs can be dried off in a shed and daffodils healed in a corner of the garden, or planted in natural lawn areas and borders.

Apply a preventative fungicide spray to roses and other plants before you see any diseases. Mildew and black spot will become evident soon. Look out too for aphids.

Many rose shoots and buds have been damaged by the snow and frost and may need re pruning and the plants a feed to get them growing again strongly.

The main problem with all the growing is the much lower than normal soil temperature, we had some lovely early cauliflowers in the farm shop in April but they were so much smaller than normal, fortunately still just as tasty.
Gooseberries have plenty of green leaves showing and the straw laying around the strawberries will start this month.

We will be planting two tunnels of the table top strawberries so they will ready to pick in August.

One of our varieties of strawberries which are planted out in May will be ready to pick 60 days later. Hence the name ’60 day later plant’.

Rhubarb will also be ready to sell in the farm shop shortly.

We will continue to plant successive crops of cauliflowers, cabbages and broccoli ready for harvest in September. We will also be sowing the carrots ready for the autumn.

• Clear away spring bedding ready for your summer display at the end of the month.
• Lawns should be mown regularly and a lawn feed used if needed.
• Roses and other susceptible plants need to be sprayed regularly to prevent mildew and blackspot.
• Place supports for herbaceous plants.
• Hedges can be trimmed and fed.
• Borders & flowerbeds can be fed with a slow release plant food.
• Sweet pea plants can be planted out.
• Finish planting any shrubs.
• Continue sowing vegetables, particularly salad crops, little and often for a continuous supply.
• Protect young plants and vegetables from slugs.
• Fruit bushes especially currants and gooseberries need protecting from bird damage.
• Continue with your weeding programme, a layer of bark may help keep weed away.

Expert help on hand

Don’t forget, our team is always on hand to answer any questions you may have about getting the best out of any plants you buy at our Garden Centre. If you want directions for finding us (we are only minutes from Wrexham and Chester), take a look at our map.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable evening raising much needed funds for the Hospice.

This year’s guests includes: Paul Cook the Curator for Ness Gardens, Christine Foulkes-Jones the owner of Hall Farm Nursery, Medwyn Williams the vegetable expert and Anne Harrison who specialises in hanging baskets.

In-store container and hanging basket demonstrations. We can pot up your containers or baskets or you can just watch and learn and buy the finished product.

Click play to watch a video of a previous Potting Bench Event

A specialist from Bayer Garden will be available all weekend from 11am – 4pm to talk all things ‘weeds’ and how to safely control them by using a variety of the Round Up products.

Please note that there will be a £1.00 per adult admission charge to this year’s event.

To make the day that bit special there will be fun for all with stalls, games, entertainment and the return of the ‘Bellis’ Bake Off, which is a Victoria Sponge and Strawberry Jam making competition.

Entry to the Fun Day is free; entry to the dog show is £2.00 per pedigree class and £1.00 per novelty class.

All proceeds are for Nightingale House Hospice.

For further details please call Acorn Antiques on 01978 754090 or enquire via their web site.

Please note that there will be a £1.00 per adult admission charge to this year’s event.

Vicky from Bellis’ had a great time showing the children how to plant and look after their beans while they are growing. Everyone got a little excited when they talked about the story of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’.

If you would like to talk to us about school visits to our Garden Centre or our Working Farm, please contact us.