In the Garden: April

Wind anemones, pictured,are oddly named as they actually hate the wind, which can damage the thin flower stems. Choose a sheltered, part shade position. They’ll take a year or two to establish but then spread to form a large clump. After flowering, cut them back to the ground to allow for fresh new growth to emerge.

Plant garlic now for a Christmas crop. A square metre of garlic will be provide a year’s supply for most families. Plant 36 fat cloves of quality Australian garlic in soil prepared with compost and a handful of blood and bone.

Find a spot in the sun for a path of iceland poppies to warm your view in winter. If growing from seed, sow into trays of seed raising mix. Seeds will germinate in 10-14 days. Transplant when large enough to handle. Protect seedlings from slug and snail attack. If planting seedlings, soak the punnet in a weak seaweed solution before painting, and water them in gently with the rest of the solution.

Keep an eye out for scale, not just on citrus, but also on gardenia. Scale exude a sticky ‘honeydew’ which draws ants and encourages the development of black sooty mould. Together this trio severely damages the health of plants.Treat scale with Pest Oil or Eco Oil, and follow up with a second spray two weeks later.

Prune summer-flowering shrubs such as buddleia and abutilon, and give lavenders a light hair cut to maintain a good shape.

Pick armfuls of roses and dahlias to enjoy indoors. Deadhead spent flowers while you’re there to prolong flowering.

Change the vegie bed over to cool season crops. No need to dig, just top with compost and old manure and loosen the soil by rocking the tines of a garden fork through.

Spray citrus withe Eco-Oil or Pestoil to keep bronze orange bug and citrus leaf miner away.

Rose lovers should take plenty of long walks around the best local rose gardens to identify which roses do best in their area. Develop a shortlist for winter planting.