Feeding cannot be ignored. For all your plants to produce maximum growth and flower to their full potential they need to be able to draw on plant nutrients as they need them.
There are a range of fertilisers that will provide nutrients for all sorts of conditions and all sorts of gardeners. These allow gardeners to balance the nutrient levels in their soil to suit different types of crops.
For example green, leafy vegetables such as cabbages and other brassicas need plenty of nitrogen and a dressing of sulphate of ammonia will encourage fast strong growth, whereas superphosphate promotes strong and healthy rooting and is an ideal supplement where you are growing carrots and parsnips.
Check the pH balance of your soil to see if it is acid (numbers seven and below), alkaline (numbers above seven) or nearly neutral (seven). Most vegetables will thrive on a slightly acid soil in the numerical range of six to seven and if your test provides an acid indicator below six you should dress the soil with lime.
The patio garden
Garden centres will have a good display of lilies that need planting up in pots and in the garden ready for summer display. They appreciate good drainage directly under the bulbs so plant carefully.
Put a layer of all purpose compost in the bottom of the container and then a layer of gravel or sharp grit. Place the bulbs on top of this gravel and fill the container with more compost.
Keep dead-heading winter pansies and feed occasionally with plant food when the weather is mild.
If you’ve not studied the rose section in your garden centre recently, you’ll be surprised at how many miniature and patio roses have been bred for modern gardens. Many are recommended for growing in pots and tubs as they are small and delicate yet continue to flower through until the winter.
Some, like the clean white of Pour Toi (For You), have been around since 1946, before the popularity of patios. Recent introductions since 2000 include Happy Days, an amber-pink spreader, Paper Anniversary with clusters of white, tinged with pink and green blooms and Little Amy a yellow rose with pink outside flush to each petal.
All patio roses need to be potted in a decent compost which contains enough continuous release plant food for the first year, but it will need topping up in subsequent years with a good handful of rose and shrub plant food worked into the compost surface.
Move pots of flowering bulbs around on the patio to ensure you can appreciate the developing blooms from the closest house window.