JOBS for the week

Weeding – it’s on the list every week but it’s the top job at this time of year.

Help reduce plastic and make simple little paper pots for seed sowing from newspaper. Wrap several times around a cylindrical object such as a bottle and then tuck in at the end. You could also use cardboard egg cartons, toilet rolls or even ready-to-buy biodegradable pots in garden centres.

Sow some annuals – something as simple as calendula will provide sparkles of colours in the summer months.

Any herbaceous perennials that have lost their vigour and are thinning at the centre can be lifted and divided, which will improve their health as well as their flowering.

Rake your lawn to remove dead grass and winter debris. Mow and then feed to ensure it’s green and lush.

If you took hardwood cuttings last year, check on them now – they should be ready for potting on or planting in the ground. Lightly clip heathers as the flowers turn brown.

Acid-loving plants like rhodos and camellias will benefit from an ericaceous feed.

If you’ve been busy cutting back and pruning, give these shrubs a boost with some compost/manure or fertiliser to help them recover.