April showers and sunshine – the perfect gardening weather

Things will start to get busy in the Gardens this month as we gear up for summer and prepare for the gorgeous displays we are renowned for.

In the next couple of weeks we’ll be taking delivery of 5,656 bedding plant plugs – all of which will be potted in the nursery. These include plants for the Mediterranean House summer display, the Butterfly House, and bedding schemes on the Terrace, car park and around the bandstand. Expect vibrant displays!

To celebrate the forthcoming Commonwealth Games 2022, which start in July in Birmingham, the Terrace display will be resplendent in yellow, green and blue, the colours of the Commonwealth Games 2022 logo.

The sunshine starts to get stronger in April, so we’ll be stepping up the watering in the glasshouses and nursery, while outside we’ll also be in the borders, searching for and digging out the weeds that pop up out of the soil, seemingly overnight.

The team will be keeping on top of the lawn mowing this month. You might well have already given your grass a light mow, but April is the time to start in earnest. However, keep the blades a little higher at this time of the year. This might mean mowing a little bit and often for a few weeks, but your lawn will be significantly healthier for it.

If you visit the Gardens with children, you’ll be interested to know that we’ve added bark to a depth of 30cm in the playground to keep your little ones safe. This was a bigger job than you would imagine: 627m2 delivered in seven lorry loads. That took a while to put down, but it looks great and makes it a wonderfully soft surface on which to play.

There’s always something new and interesting to see at the Gardens and this is the month you should definitely visit the Rock Garden because the magnolia, spring bulbs and Alpines look like something out of a fairy tale. It’s definitely a great background for any Instagram selfie.

Easter is always a popular time to visit as people enjoy holiday times to while away the time and spend the time with friends and family. This Easter will be particularly special as we’ll be welcoming the Daffodil Society on Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17, for its annual show.

It will be a celebratory homecoming because it is where the society was launched in 1898. If you love these bright and welcoming spring flowers, this is a must-visit event: hundreds of daffodils will be on display and iIt promises to be a sight for sore eyes.

If you’re visiting us this month, and spot something you love, have a question about a specific plant or just want to highlight your trip, tag us or post to our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages. We enjoy reading what you have loved seeing here and what you have experienced.

We hope to see you all soon.