Just a place for some rambling accounts about awesome outdoor spaces and how to make them magical...

I love these gorgeous early spring days! Take a look around and look at the tips of the bare tree branches scratching at the gaping blue skies. The trees have been sitting dormant all winter preserving energy but with the warmer days and the hours of sunlight increase, the first signs of change are there to see. Take a look at the horizon and you'll see a haze across the tops of the tree line. I work on a different timescale to the trees having spent the whole winter getting fat and frantically trying to lose it in spring the trees are doing the opposite. This change in colour is the buds beginning to fatten up and develop. Having sat dormant for the winter they are getting ready for the explosive growth ready for the new season. The buds come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and contain undeveloped leaves and flowers. The woodland trust has a great app that you can use to identify trees from their bark or buds before the leaves have emerged. if you want to know a bit more but it's still fun just wandering around looking at the different shapes and sizes. Once the trees have sucked up enough sunshine we will be treated to the full colour shows of blossoming fruit trees and magnolias short but beautiful show. The National Trust has just begun a new scheme to plant dozens of blossoming trees across the UK including Cherry, Hawthorn and Plum trees in a nod to the spectacular Hanami or cherry blossom season across Japan. It's a great time to plant bare root trees and shrubs and they can often be a lot cheaper than their pot grown counterparts,

There's even more going on around the base of the trees too and you should start to see the spring flowers especially in more sheltered areas starting to bloom. Snowdrops, crocuses, and daffodils are coming into their own and look fantastic bursting through a lawn and are easy to maintain whilst the grass hasn't really started to flourish yet. This always takes me back to my childhood eating spring lamb surrounded by bunches of happy little dafs that looked like we had brought the sun into the house.

Take a seat in the garden and you can't miss the first exploratory bumblebees still a little sleep drunk bumbling their way. These are actually the queens out in search of nectar and a new home to start to build their colonies. Mining varieties have also started to dig their way out of the soil leaving miniature molehills behind.

We can expect to welcome our fair-weather friends, the migratory birds that have been sunning themselves in the warmer south. With the warmer days and new arrivals, we get the start of the amazing dawn choruses that will continue to get louder throughout spring and summer. The noisiest and most common of the bunch are robins, blackbirds, wrens, chiffchaffs, chaffinches and blue tits. Most of this early signing is the males showing off their lung power to attract a mate and as the season continues they continue to sing to warn off competition and protect their territories

So out and about things are getting interesting, but what should you be doing in your own garden? Early spring is a great time to lift and divide large clumps of perennials. By splitting clump forming perennials and ornamental grasses, you not only ensure healthy vigorous plants but you end up with plenty more plants to add to swathes, add to a new bed, or share with your friends and families. Most plants can be split by hand or with a sharp clean knife, but for any large or more fibrous roots try inserting two garden forks back to back and teasing them apart just make sure to replant them in plenty of well rotted compost and water generously. You can also prune back any winter interest especially dogwoods to make sure the new growth remains vibrant. It's also a great time to add top dressings and compost to large beds and remove any weeds whilst there's little risk of damaging any new growth and getting a head start.

Whilst we wait for the spring growth to really kick in, April is a fantastic time to make the most of the extra space in the beds and to get ahead on any maintenance jobs. The best place to start is with the boundaries. It is still fairly pain free to get access all around and be able to cut back any shrubs. You can also remove climbers from trellis or supports if needed. You are mainly looking for any broken sections or large holes, If you can afford to leave a gap in the boundaries it is great for allowing our native mammals to move around freely and safely and forage for food. Check all of your fence posts and panels, making sure there are no broken capping or support struts. These can be replaced at a really low cost and very easily if it's done early. Check along walls for any frost damage or lifted capping. Repoint any crumbling or damaged mortar and repaint wherever you need to keep it looking fresh and clean. This is also the perfect time to cut back and shape hedges and topiary so you can lightly maintain them throughout the summer, just make sure you are checking for any bird nests. or animals that might just be waking up.

Another area that can become damaged and dangerous over the winter is your paving and hard areas. So like with the boundaries you are looking for any paving that has lifted or been damaged by the frosts. Make sure it is repaired fully and feels solid and replace the jointing compound.

Throughout the winter water and leaves sit and decompose on your decks and patios, make sure you sweep them down as well as possible and clean with a mixture of warm water and either white vinegar or a specialist patio cleaning product and a stiff brush. If the patio hasn't been cleaned for a long time and has become really slippery, you might need to use a jet washer but make sure to take your time and work in sections to make sure there are no lines or obvious marks. Jet washers can dislodge the jointing compound or sand so give them a check once it has dried and replace them wherever needed. Give your lawns a good seed and feed and start a regular mowing routine. Although it is much easier to hack the grass down to the ground every couple of weeks if you can cut little and often you will encourage a lush even lawn all summer.

A few jobs that need to be done now are pruning back any architectural seed heads and dead branches especially on hydrangeas and ferns ready for the new growth. This will keep them looking great and provide a good framework. It's a great time to see if there are any gaps in the beds or an opportunity to add some different seasonal interest too. Although it still feels cool make sure to continue to water new plants, trees and shrubs especially in dry patches to get them well established before the summer heat. Check that their tree ties and supports aren't too tight and loosen if necessary. Remove or compost any cuttings or rubbish that has been leftover from the winter ready to enjoy the sunshine as soon as it pops out

The last thing I look forward to doing is getting the BBQ and furniture back out of storage. Give it a good clean fill it with coal and then eat every meal outside for the rest of the week!

What do you think of when someone says outdoor planters and hanging baskets? If you are anything like me, it's the drippy brown plastic buckets hanging off the front of the pub willed with purple trumpets and fag butts. This month I will be taking a look at the new kids on the block and experimenting with some modern planting alternatives. Check back in soon to see how it went.