Many of our gardens are enjoying much earlier blooms this spring due to the mild and damp weather conditions. Peter Brown and Chris Day bring us the latest gardening news, what’s on’s and topical gardening advice for the busy month of April.

What’s on

6th -7th April: Cornwall Garden Society Spring Flower Show at Royal Cornwall Show Ground near Wadebridge, features a Grow Your Own space and Tipi Talks as well as dazzling displays and exquisite exhibits.

Saturday 13th April: Hanami Blossom Day at Brogdale Farm, Faversham, Kent. Open 10am-3pm. Discover Japanese art and culture amidst the breathtaking blossoming orchards, plus so much more.

15th – 28th April: A celebration of Spring: from blossom to bluebells at Hever Castle Gardens in Kent.

18th - 21st April: RHS Urban Show set in the heart of Manchester (Depot Mayfield), celebrates your own oasis in this new immersive gardening experience.

Sunday 21st April: Plant Fairs Roadshow at Arundel Castle in West Sussex. Open 10am-5pm. Expert nurseries will be displaying their plants in the grounds of Arundel Castle as part of the Plant Fairs Roadshow.

Monday 29th April: Rachel de Thame: A Flower Garden for Pollinators talk at the Garden Museum in Lambeth, London, by Rachel de Thame and botanical artist Lauren Lusk yours about her new book.

Plants mentioned: Comfrey (for tea), Hebe, Narcissi, Muscari (grape hyacinths), Tulips, Hydrangea ‘Cherry Explosion,’ Rose ‘Munstead Wood’, Magnolia ‘Stellata’ (Star magnolia), Primulas and Polyanthus.

Seeds to sow: Cosmos, Cowslips, Gazanias, Geraniums, Marigolds, Nasturtium, Sunflowers and wildflowers. Veggies: Parsnips, Carrots, and salad crops.

Products mentioned: Lawn seed mixtures including Johnsons Any Time, Tuff Lawn, Shade and Meadow wildflower mixture, feed Vitax Q4, Empathy Afterplant, Sulphate of Potash, Fungus Fighter for preventative box treatment. Box alternatives - Euonymus ‘Jean Hugues’ and E. ‘Green Spire’, Evergreen honeysuckle hedging. Flowering hedges including Lavender and Hedge Germander. Garden hoe. Water retaining gel, Vitax Q4 and continuous (slow release) control fertiliser.

Peter and Chris’s bluebell wood recommendations: Hazelborough Woods (Silverstone, Northamptonshire) and The Woodland Trust’s College Wood (Nash, Milton Keynes).

News

101 Charles Darwin lookalikes gather at threatened 550-year-old oak tree in record attempt protest.

Global tree of the year winners announced.

Sycamore gap tree update

Californian Redwoods make it big in the UK

Government dashes hopes for horticulture with underwhelming reforms

More Scottish gardens open under the SGS to help the Perennial charity.

Finalist of the RHS Britain in Bloom competition announced.

International Orchid Show moves to Gardeners’ World Live.

Glow-in-the-dark Petunia ‘Firefly’ launched in the United States.

A new Rose ‘With Courage’ in conjunction with RNLI from rose breeder Peter Beales.

A change in shift of food production with wider diversification of crops.

The NHS could save £6.7 billion a year if everyone ate plant based food.

New Backyard Biodiversity Report from Garden Organics.

Top RHS plant diseases ranked from results in 2023.

Dig It Top 5: This month Grass seed best sellers.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music.

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