By Debby Looney, gardening expert

It seems that the longer the days get, the bigger the list of jobs in the garden gets!

Everything, including weeds, is experiencing a growth spurt. While, in principle, I am against using pesticides and herbicides, sometimes exceptions can be made for example, the gravel drive! There are a few products available which prevent regrowth, Weedol ‘Pathclear’, ‘Premazor’ and Resolva granular ‘Weed preventer’, all have enzymes which prevent seeds from germinating, giving you at least six months control.

Conifers always look their best at this time of year, especially those with brightly coloured shoots such as Picea 'Daisy’s White'. Top of the list, for me, has to be Abies koreana, a beautifully shaped conifer, with bright green new growth and bright purpley-blue cones. It is a slow grower and suitable for medium sized gardens as a specimen. Herbaceous plants are all making an appearance, and Candelabra Primulas are spectacular now, with their tall spikes of multi-coloured flowers. They grow particularly well in moist shady areas of the garden, and they are slug resistant.

For some weeks now bedding plants have been available, but to my mind it has been too early to plant them out. However, with the month turning and the weather heating up, it is safe enough to start planting out the bedding. Do keep an eye on the weather forecast and cover any annuals with garden fleece, or even some hessian.

Planting pots

There is a fantastic range of pots available to the gardener, ranging from enormous glazed pots, to very affordable high quality plastic ones. My favourites are still the basic terracotta pot, as I love the way they age. There are pots to suit every situation, from square fibreglass ones in which topiary looks stunning to brightly coloured stackable pots. When planting pots, we have always been told to put some drainage in the bottom, such as gravel. This works quite well, but the new way of thinking is to omit any drainage. When water draining through the pot suddenly finds itself with nothing to cling to, that is, when it hits the “drainage”, it actually stops moving downward, and in a bizarre way causes waterlogging! So, save yourself the trouble, and put your compost straight in! Mix in some water retaining gel, and slow release fertiliser, then water the pot before planting. The gel will swell so you can gauge whether you have put in enough compost. As a rule of thumb, I find three patio plants such as surfinias or bacopas, in a 14 inch basket is plenty. Fill in any gaps with trailing lobelia, or other bedding in trays. If you put too much into a basket or pot, the result will be some of the plants dying due to lack of space!