JOBS for the week

■ Increased light levels mean house plants start to wake up, so they will need more watering. Also, start to feed them, for example citrus plants. ■ Lift and divide perennials – it’s good to do hostas before they come into leaf. ■ Feed roses and other flower beds with general fertilisers such as chicken pellets or wellrotted farmyard manure. ■ Prune penstemons back to base – leaving the growth on over winter will have helped to protect the plant from frost.

■ Depending on the weather in your area, it will soon be time for the first lawn cut. Remember to keep the blade higher for the first cut, and apply a highnitrogen fertiliser to give turf a boost.

■ Climbing roses are starting to put out shoots – tie in to supports. The best way is to connect stem and support using twine or string in a figure of eight, which allows a bit of movement for the stem as it flexes and grows. ■ Take softwood fuchsia cuttings and place in a heated propagator or cover with polythene.