Easter Gardening Jobs to do.

Easter is a great time to get some of the bigger jobs done before the cold weather comes in. Lawns usually need some extra work and if you are organised you will be able to get some top soil in and spread that over the lawn to even up the bumps and bare patches. Oversow with a lawn repair mix and keep moist. Over the next few weeks the weather will be cooling down over night and with the soil still warm, germination will quickly fill in the bare spots again. Give the established lawns a light feed to pick them up and have them lush and healthy again in no time. Bulbs can be planted now.  Any that are in the garden may need to be lifted and replanted lower in the soil especially if they have been in the same spot for a few years. Trim off any dead foliage and trim up shrubs ready for the new flush of leaves. Add them to the compost heap or shred to return the goodness back to the soil. In the vege patch tidy up and remove stakes from tomato bushes that have finished. Stack the stakes away carefully and put any tomato plant foliage out in the rubbish bin to prevent the spread of any virus that may be on the plants. In my garden we are still harvesting cucumber and tomatoes, the zucchini are a bit slow and the potatoes are fattening up. The Jerusalem artichokes are in flower and look amazing this year. The rhubarb is getting bigger and a few extra plants will be available soon. We are in the process of covering over the vege garden area to protect the plants from the extreme summers we have been having so next year we should have a better story to tell. the beans took a hiding this year as did the sweet corn. too many days over 40c.. Will be taking some rose cuttings earlier this year and hope to have better success than taking them at pruning time..  In the herb garden I will be trimming back and dividing up for new plants and last year I threaded the excess foliage in and out of the wire mesh that the cucumbers grow on. ..makes a pleasant surprise when it is brushed up against later on and also prevents any pieces of mint getting into the garden where they could be a nuisance.   Check the water systems that you have in place… take a length of brightly coloured plant tie to mark where you need to return to is a great idea and saves time . tap washers can perish and water leaks can create an unexpected bill.  Make a list for when you go to the hardware store next time and replace washers and make any repairs that were spotted when you did your check.