Flower garden

Feeding
Sprinkle general purpose fertiliser around clumps of spring-flowering bulbs. Ensure permanent shrubs and hedging are given a generous feed using this or rose fertiliser. Hoe it into the soil's surface and water in before covering with a mulch of garden compost.
Support plants
Place support frames over tall perennials, or those with a floppy disposition. Remember to put eye guards on top of any canes used.
Tidy alpine plants
Lightly trim off dead flowers of moss Phlox, Saxifrage, Aubrietia and other alpines once they have faded.

Greenhouse
Hanging baskets
Plant up baskets with fuchsias and tender perennials, then hang them in the greenhouse to develop.
Pest control
Watch out for pests. Treat immediately with conventional pesticides, or consider using biological agents for the control of whitefly, red spider mite and other pests.

Kitchen garden
Outdoor sowings
Crops to sow outside or under cold frames during early May include dwarf French beans, beetroot, sprouting broccoli, Brussels sprouts, summer and Savoy cabbage, cauliflower, ridge cucumbers, kale, lettuce, marrows, peas, radish, spinach, sweet corn and turnips. Delay sowings if soil conditions are cold and wet.
French and runner beans
For an early crop of beans, sow French and runner beans in pots in the greenhouse or on a windowsill. Choose deep pots, if possible, sowing two seeds per pot, and thinning to leave the strongest seedling which is then planted outside in late May or June.
Broad beans
Pull the soil up around the base of the stems with a hoe for extra support.
Support peas
Push twiggy supports into the soil along rows of tall peas to provide support as they grow.
Rhubarb
Harvest stems forced under jars, by gripping them firmly at the base and then pulling them sharply away from the crown.

General care
Water new plants
Water newly planted fruit trees, roses and shrubs regularly to help their root systems establish.
Weeding
Hoe borders once a week to prevent weed seedlings establishing. Weeds will establish and grow very quickly at this time of year.
Plants for pots
Buy young plants for pots, containers, hanging baskets as well as for bedding displays. Be sure to acclimatise plants to cooler outdoor conditions before planting out.
Frost protection
Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by warmer days. Keep a sheet of fleece handy, ready to use on cold nights if a ground frost is forecast. Throw it over emerging potato foliage, or fruit trees and bushes in flower as well as newly planted bedding plants. Sacking or bubble polythene can be spread over cold frames and newspaper spread over young plants on greenhouses at night will provide protection.
Slugs and snails
Control slugs and snails by trapping them under tiles or grapefruit skins. Collect the slugs and dispose of them. Only use pellets sparingly and replenish after wet weather.

Lawn care
Regular mowing should be kept up and increased in frequency in the coming weeks to keep pace with the increasing surge of grass growth. Most lawns grow strongly during these weeks but very hungry grass will only grow poorly. The removal of grass clippings removes nutrients. Feeding with lawn fertilizer or high-nitrogen fertiliser will bring the grass on but be careful not to put on too much - little and often is best. Lawn weedkillers can be use to control broad-leaved lawn weeds in warm, fine weather when the soil is moist.