April is one of the most exciting months in the gardening calendar. The days are noticeably longer, the soil is warming up, and everything feels full of promise. It’s the perfect time to roll up your sleeves and get planting, sowing, tidying, and feeding. Whether you’re growing vegetables, refreshing borders, or bringing your lawn back to life, there’s plenty to keep you busy — and to look forward to.
If you haven’t already started, now’s the time to plant summer-flowering favourites like dahlias, begonias, gladioli, and lilies. These bulbs, tubers and corms love warm soil and will reward you with vibrant colour later in the summer.
Plant second early potatoes at the start of April, and main crop varieties towards the end of the month. Not sure which type you have? The packet will tell you. Need more advice? Pop into the garden centre and we’ll be happy to help.
April marks the beginning of the outdoor sowing season. Once the soil is workable and frost-free, you can sow seeds straight into the ground.
Try early varieties of:
– Carrots
– Peas
– Lettuce
– Radishes
-Spinach
Tip: Watch out for late frosts. Use cloches or horticultural fleece to protect tender seedlings.
Got a patch of your garden that never dries out? Turn it into a bog garden! It’s the perfect environment for irises, ferns, primulas, astilbes, and other moisture-loving plants.
Roses are hungry plants! Give them a boost now with a specific rose fertiliser to encourage strong, healthy growth and beautiful blooms.
Our aquatic department is reopening this month and will be stocked with a lovely range of pond plants to brighten up your water feature. It’s the perfect time to refresh your pond and give it a new lease of life for spring.
As your snowdrops finish flowering and die back, lift and divide the clumps. Replant the bulbs individually at the same depth — this helps them spread more naturally in future years.
If you’ve got pot-grown broad beans, you can begin planting them out once they’ve been hardened off. This means gradually acclimatising them to outdoor conditions over a few days.
Before trimming any hedges, always check for nesting birds. If you spot a nest, it’s best to hold off until the chicks have flown.
Late frosts can still catch us out in April. Use horticultural fleece to protect vulnerable plants and wrap bubble wrap around pots to keep roots safe from cold snaps.
Feed and Water Houseplants
Your indoor plants are waking up too! Start feeding them again and gradually increase watering. Follow the instructions on your fertiliser and avoid overfeeding.
Time to show your lawn some love:
– Mow when the grass is dry (and not too short)
– Aerate the lawn using a fork to improve drainage and airflow
– Reseed bare patches or lay new turf
We sell both — turf arrives on Fridays and is available at the weekend (weather permitting), so give us a call to reserve your rolls.
April is all about preparation and planting — the more you do now, the better your garden will reward you in the months to come. If you need help choosing the right plants, lawn care products, or pond accessories, pop in and speak to our friendly team at St Bridget.
Happy gardening!
Clyst St. Mary
Sidmouth Road, Clyst St. Mary,
Exeter, Devon, EX5 1AE.
Telephone: 01392 876281
Email: gardening@stbridgetnurseries.co.uk
OPENING HOURS
Monday to Saturday 9.00am to 5.00pm*
Sundays 10.00am to 4.00pm*
Bank Holidays 9.00am to 5.00pm Closed (25/26 Dec)
*Cafe open until 4.30pm each day and until 3.30pm on Sundays.
