Life

Pruning roses among this week's things to do in the garden

Time to prune bush and shrub roses
Time to prune bush and shrub roses Time to prune bush and shrub roses

:: Prune bush and shrub roses.

:: Reseed bare patches on the lawn, if weather permits.

:: Mulch bare soil in beds and borders.

:: Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials.

:: Put stakes and other plant supports in before the new growth really needs them.

:: Finish planting bare-root trees and shrubs and new fruit trees and bushes.

:: Cut back climbers including honeysuckle, ivy and winter jasmine.

:: Cut down any growth left after winter, even if seedheads still look good, to make way for new growth.

:: Dress the soil with a fertiliser so it is ready for a layer of mulch.

:: Plant out early chitted seed potatoes with the 'rose' end uppermost.

:: Plant out bulbs grown for indoor use which have finished flowering.

:: Continue to sow hardy annuals in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse.

BEST OF THE BUNCH - Elaeagnus

THIS tough, fast-growing evergreen is ideal for growing as hedging, with its resistance to coastal winds and tolerance of the elements. Leaves may be plain green or silvery, or there are types with silver or gold variegation that look great in full sun. Small clusters of bell-shaped fragrant flowers are borne in summer or autumn, occasionally followed by small berries. Grow them in fertile, well-drained soil, preferably in full sun. Deciduous types are also available. Good bets include E. 'Quicksilver', a deciduous, clump-forming shrub which grows to 4m, flowering in summer, and E. x ebbingei 'Gilt Edge', a dense evergreen with green and yellow variegated leaves and creamy white flowers in autumn. Prune deciduous types in late winter or early spring and evergreens in mid-to-late spring.