April can be a bit of a lottery weather-wise. I know the old rhyme says ‘April Showers’, but we have also had quite bad droughts at this time of year. If this is the case, care will have to be taken with any shrubs and trees planted in the last few months.

Evergreens don’t show any sign of drought until they are in a really bad way, so care must be taken to give them a thorough watering once a week until they are a year old and should have a strong root system. Remember thorough watering means a good watering can full per plant – mulching around the soil will keep the water in (although don’t go right up to the stem as it can lead to rotting).

Garden centres are full of small plug plants in all sorts of enticing colours, and buying bedding plants as plugs is a very good way to do it. However, don’t just ‘bung’ them in the garden, as they are used to a frost-free environment in the nursery and will need to be kept in a cold greenhouse or conservatory for another 3 or so weeks to acclimatise and make sure they won’t be zapped by the frost (which still can come in April).

Start feeding your strawberries, raspberries, etc. now as they will be flowering soon. A balanced fertiliser like Growmore or blood, fish and bone will promote successful flower and fruit production, good foliage and strong roots. Apply about 70g per square metre.

This is also a good time to plant ornamental grasses in free-draining sandy soil, but if your soil doesn’t sound like this you can add plenty of grit to clay soils to improve the drainage, or create a raised bed with bricks or sleepers to aid drainage. Some grasses look great in pots like the Japanese Hakonechloa macra ‘Alboaurea’, which is an eye-catching small ornamental grass, forming cascading hummocks of vividly striped bright yellow and green striped foliage. The narrow leaves keep their colour throughout the season – although it loses its leaves in winter – and often when the plant is grown in full sun, it develops a reddish tinge. However, I prefer it grown in shade to keep the yellowy-green colour.