Gardening: what to plant in April

With spring finally upon us, April is a perfect month to start sowing the seeds ready for a full and flowering garden come the summer months. Here’s what flowers, fruit and vegetables are ideal for planting in April:

Flowers and shrubs to plant in April

PANSY – One of the beautifully colourful early bloomers, pansies are perfect for early-season planting and they love cooler temperatures.

YELLOW TRILLIUM - Yellow-white bulbs and beautifully marbled leaves are at their best in spring and will start to die off by the end of June, so make the most while they’re in season.

SNOWDROP ANEMONE – If you have a more shaded garden, this delicate white flower will flourish. It prefers cooler temperatures and will often bloom for a second time when the temperatures drop again in autumn.

‘ACOMA’ IRIS – With a range of colours to choose from, this versatile little flower will likely start to bloom toward the end of spring, so sow them now ready for some early summer colour.

MARIGOLD – A classic and durable flower, marigolds have the most staying power, sticking around from cool spring through to autumn and even into winter, depending when the first frost comes.
 

Fruit and vegetables to plant in April

BEETS - Beets sown in April should be ready for early summer; the Detroit Dark Red variety are delicious!

CABBAGE – An easy vegetable to grow if you’re just starting out or want to grow with the kids. When cabbage heads start to form, start to water and fertilise.  

CARROTS – Carrots planted April should be ready to harvest by early-mid summer.

CUCUMBERS – Depending on the space you have available in your garden, vine or bush cucumbers grow fast and can produce amble fruits.

LETTUCE – Perfect for a late summer or early autumn harvest. Plant salad greens where they will get some sun but not all day; bright afternoon sun is best for them.

PEAS – Peas are an easy and tasty vegetable to grow in April, with green peas and sugar peas being the best varieties to sow at this time of year. They’re fast growing too; they’ll produce a delicious crop come May.