Chris's Monthly tips

January February March April May June July August September October November December

• URGENT CHECKS Remove any storm damaged branches from shrubs and small trees, cutting cleanly back to a healthy branch or the trunk. Gardeners often try to get partly broken branches to heal by strapping them back together, but they are highly unlikely to rejoin and may attract fungal problems. Wound paints are not recommended on older damaged wood, although Maxicrop Pruning Balm may help stimulate new growth along the younger stems.

• PLANNING FOR SUMMER No sooner than the spring bulbs decide to pop their leaves tentatively through the cold soil, we now need to think about those glorious summer bulbs and get them sourced and planted. It’s still a tad early for Begonias and Dahlias, although they can be started off under warm glass if that’s available, however, the likes of Anemone De Caen, Liliums such as ‘Star Gazer’, Freesia and Gladiolius can be planted next month onwards in well-prepared soil.

• Gladioli ‘Charming Beauty’ is a delicate salmon pink gladioli growing to a height of around 2ft (60cm), so shorter than some of its taller cousins. It flowers from July through until- September it'll create some lovely colour in the garden this summer!Our tips: Gladioli do best in a well-drained, moisture retentive soil in full sun and protected from strong winds.Good for borders and as cut flowers. Dual planting is highly recommended; one for the garden and one for cut flowers.For the best effect, plant in groups of 5 or more. Gladioli require water during the growing period and mulching with compost will help conserve moisture. Staking can be necessary; after the buds are formed, place canes or stakes at about 5cm from the base of the stems to avoid damaging the corms. In very cold areas, lift after flowering and store frost free over winter. Planting some corms every few weeks from April to June will ensure continuity of flowers from summer to autumn. Available in XL range of bulbs.

• WEED ALERT Hairy bittercress can be a curse in pots as it can quickly establish itself if not removed. You do need to be quick to remove this weed as it will rapidly flower and set further seed, so ensuring continued persistence in your pots, borders or, worse still, the lawn, where it can be a really tricky weed to eradicate! Back to the pots, consider removing a 1-2in (2.5-5cm) layer of the old compost and add some new multi-purpose compost as a ‘top-dressing’. This smartens the appearance, removes any weeds and mosses and provides some welcome new compost and nutrients to the existing plants in the container.