As daffodils finish flowering the faded flowerheads can be removed. The small daffodils which are being grown to naturalise can be left to form seedheads. Don’t cut off the foliage as it needs at least six weeks dying to replenish the bulb underneath so it can flower the following year. Moreover, don’t tie it up in strange bundles with elastic bands, as this can damage the leaves.

This could be a good time to buy winter flowering trees and shrubs whose price may be reduced in garden centres – giving you a good show next winter. This is also a good time to plant evergreens into well-prepared soil with a balanced fertilizer added. Make sure you keep them well-watered during the summer if it is dry.

Reinstall pumps and filters
Now is also a good time to reinstall pumps and filters in your pond that have been kept out of the frost since autumn. Some of the marginal plants that have been sown in baskets will have become pot-bound and need dividing and repotting with ordinary garden soil (not rich compost which will contribute to the growth of algae) and top dressed with grit to keep the soil in place.

If you have a pond that gets several hours of full sun a day you should consider growing water lilies. They like still water with no fountains or waterfalls and have large leaves that spread over the surface of the water, creating shade, which reduces algal growth. The flowers come in lots of colours and even sometimes have a scent as well.

Encourage the grass to grow
Begin feeding the lawn in April when growth starts again. Apply a proprietary spring/summer lawn fertiliser in two applications. It should be high in nitrogen to encourage the grass to grow nice and green. If you need to apply a weedkiller on the grass apply it two or three weeks later when everything is growing strongly. Don’t mow for two or three days after applying, and if you have mown don’t apply weedkiller for two or three days. Don’t compost the clippings that have been treated with weedkiller. However, I personally don’t mind seeing a lawn containing daisies and other flowers and life is easier if you learn to love them!

Keep a look out for red lily beetles
Keep a look out for the red lily beetles on newly emerging lily shoots. Pick them off and squash them and, if you want, use a systemic spray like Provado Ultimate Bug Killer to keep them safe for up to six weeks.