I have noticed the council have planted apple trees in the little gardens opposite ‘The Swan’ on the High Street (funny how my directions always involve a pub!). These gardens have had vegetables sown in them for a couple of years for the public to help themselves to, and the apple trees will be a lovely addition to this theme – what a good idea! Imagine just wandering through the park and collecting apples to take home. One of the annoying things about having apple trees at home though, especially cookers, is that sometimes you get so many – but at least there are plenty to share with others. Well done Cheltenham Parks Department!

Pest control
Keep checking for the pesky red lily beetles and squash them! You may have problems with your Bay trees having yellowed, distorted and curled leaves at the tips – this is caused by Bay suckers, which are sap-feeding insects and very prevalent at this time of year. Prune off affected stems to keep it under control and remove the leaf litter from around the base of the Bay. I wouldn’t spray with anything, as you will want to use the leaves in cooking. However, if you don’t use the leaves to cook with and want to spray your trees, use a contact insecticide in early May to kill the females before they have laid their eggs and repeat in June – that should do the trick!

Keep the weeding going!
Removing weeds when they have just appeared is so much easier – little and often is the key. Deadheading must be done before the seed sets, as this will stop the plant making flower buds. It is very therapeutic to wander round the garden in an evening and snap off the old rose heads – just the thing to unwind after a hectic day!

Enjoy fresh food
If you have grown early potatoes they should be ready to lift now. Keep sowing ‘cut and come again’ varieties of lettuce in small batches in old mushroom boxes, etc. They need to be placed out of the hot sun and kept moist but not soaking – perhaps keep them by the kitchen door and snip at them for sandwich fillings and salad bowls. Do the same with peas, as pea shoots are really tasty in a salad and they grow easily in containers.