Watch out for late frosts. Protect tender plants
Earth up potatoes, and plant any still remaining
Plant out summer bedding after the last frosts
Collect rainwater and investigate ways to recycle water for irrigation
Regularly hoe off weeds
Check for nesting birds before clipping hedges
Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of daffodils and other Spring flowering bulbs
Watch out for viburnum beetle and lily beetle grubs, if you find them use an insecticide such as Provado Ultimate Bug Killer
Begin to feed houseplants using a liquid fertiliser
Lift and divide daffodils
Mow the lawn regularly. Be careful to remove the cuttings and apply lawn feed regularly. Use a weed and moss killer where necessary
Weed around fruit bushes and strawberries to allow movement of air around the plants
Clear out Spring bedding from borders when it fades, and fork in a general fertiliser such as Organic Chicken Manure Pellets or Growmore
Ensure newly planted plants are kept watered in dry spells
Clean and oil wooden garden furniture
Tie in the lengthening growths of vines
Continue to plant tomatoes, aubergines and peppers in unheated greenhouses
Ventilate well and damp down on sunny days as longs as seeds are not being raised
Pinch out side shoots of melons and cucumbers when two side shoots have been formed
Watch out for pests and treat immediately using either a chemical spray or a biological control
Put out nesting boxes for migrant birds arriving in the UK
Take care not to disturb nesting birds in garden shrubs and hedges
Top up bird feeders and put out food on the ground and on bird tables. Avoid putting large pieces of food out as this may choke young fledglings
Keep the bird bath topped up
Make a log, twig and/or rock pile to create shelter for wildlife
Put up a bat nesting box
Put out food for hedgehogs – not bread and milk! Dog food is better for them.
Plant annuals and perennials that attract insects
Leave informal hedges un-trimmed for a while to provide food and shelter for wildlife
Plant up new aquatic baskets with oxygenating plants and water lilies. Divide water lilies if not done last month
Continue to plant up new bog gardens and tidy and mulch with composted bark or garden compost existing bog gardens
Thin out, cut back or divide excessive new growth on aquatic plants
Keep ponds and water features topped up in the heat
Begin stocking ponds with fish once new plantings have established. Avoid introducing goldfish to wildlife ponds. They will eat frogspawn and so upset the natural balance
Fish will need feeding. Little and often is best, to prevent excess food leading to unwanted algal blooms
To remove blanket weed twirl it around a rough stick
Skim off floating weeds such as duckweed with a net. Leave weeds on the pond side for 24 hours to allow trapped creatures to return to the water before adding to the compost heap
