Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4

Week 1

General
Mowing, strimming and edging lawn regularly.

Moved frog spawn from pond and stream to other ponds in readiness for emptying out and cleaning both pond and stream.

Lifted turf and forked over new bed to be developed by students with learning difficulties (see news section).

Removed blanket weed from all ponds.

Allotment
Planted POTATO 'Charlotte', 'Maxine', 'Edzell Blue', 'Cara', 'Desiree', 'Valor' and 'King Edward'.

Planted PEA 'Dorian' that had been germinated in a gutter.

Fitted net over frame cloches in readiness to use over BRASSICAS plants to protect against bird damage.

Parterre
Planted ONION 'Rijnsburger', 'Beacon', 'Ailsa Craig' and 'Kelsae' and LETTUCE 'Pandero'.

Glasshouse
Potted on TOMATOES into 1.5 litre pots.

Potted BASIL 'Genovese'; BRUSSELS SPROUT 'Brigitte', 'Red Delicious' and 'Hamlet' and PEPPER 'Fips' and 'World Beater' into 7cm (3") pots.

Sown SWEET CORN ''Champ', 'Applause', 'Blue Jade' and 'Mini Pop'; COURGETTE Gold Rush and 'Depender' into 7cm (3"0 pots.

Sown TOMATO 'Golden Peardrop' and 'Beefeater' into trays.

Week 2

General
Cleaning out blanket weed from all ponds.

Mowing, strimming and lawn edging once a week.

Watering newly planted areas.

Spread Rooster pelleted chicken manure onto all borders.

Dead-heading DAFFODILS that have gone over.

Cleaned fencing around Plantsman's Garden of all lichens prior to painting.

Allotment
Planted out HORSERADISH; SEAKALE 'Angers'; CABBAGE 'Hispi' and BRUSSELS SPROUT 'Maximus'.

Planted out SWEET PEAS over new HAZEL archway erected over allotment pathway. They were planted at every other arch to allow for RUNNER BEANS to be planted between them.

Direct sown TURNIP 'Rubing', 'Purple Top Milan', 'Golden Ball', 'Aramis' and 'Arcoat'; CARROT 'Yellowstone', 'Valor', Nantes 2' and 'Mars'; BEETROOT 'Choggia Pink', 'Motown', 'Globe 2', 'Red Ace' and 'Pronto'.

Planted CAULIFLOWER 'Mayqueen' and 'Astral' and covered with netting.

Parterre
Planted STRAWBERRIES.

Glasshouse
CABBAGE 'Greyhound', 'Protovoy' and 'Cuor Di Bue' and BASIL 'Neapolitan' and 'Experimental' potted into 7cm (3") pots.

PUMPKIN 'Atlantic Giant' and all CUCUMBER varieties potted into 2 litre pot.

Week 3

General
Measured lawn areas and ordered feed.

Painting Plantsman's Garden fence.

Planted alpine troughs around gardens where necessary.

Regularly topping up water features and ponds.

Allotment
Directly sown SWISS CHARD 'Fantasia'.

Hoeing between rows.

Earthed up early POTATO varieties where shoots were starting to show.

Thinned LETTUCES.

Put in pea sticks.

Reclaim Garden
Directly sown CHICORY 'Witloof Zoom'; SALSIFY 'Giant' and SCORZONERA 'Russian Giant'.

Orchard
Spread muck around APPLE trees.

Glasshouse
Potted all TOMATO varieties into 10 litre pots.

Sown LETTUCE 'Pandero', 'Enya', 'Ice King' and 'Triumph' into trays.

Cut back leggy CHRYSANTHEMUMS overwintering in greenhouse.

Week 4

General
Dead headed MAGNOLIAS damaged by frosts.

Dead headed all DAFFODIL flowers that had gone over.

Removed protective matting from all pathways.

Hoeing weeds in large open areas of bare ground.

Put out remaining furniture once it had been treated with teak oil.

Removed protective fleece from DICKSONIA (Tree Fern) and standard BAY TREES.

Pruned shrubs grown for their coloured stems such as SALIX and CORNUS.

Pruned LAVENDERS down to new shoots.

Moved some tender perennials out of the greenhouses and put around the gardens. These will be returned if frosts are forecast.

Cut back hardy FUCHSIAS to new shoots at the base.

Lawn edging.

Repairing loose brickwork and slabs, where needed, in various gardens.

Pruned back some of the COTINUS to try and keep them compact.

Tied SWEET PEAS and removed side shoots and tendrils.

Planted SWEET PEAS around fruit cage.

Planted out CABBAGE 'Golden Acre' and 'Red Sky'.

Nursery
Continually moving plants in and out of tunnels or into tunnel with sodium lighting to try and get them looking their best for the Chelsea Flower Show and Gardeners' World Live.

Taking hardwood cuttings from CORNUS and SALIX pruned in the gardens.

Put out tender perennials such as ARGYRANTHEMUM and OSTEOSPERMUM for sale, but as with the garden ones these will be put under cover if there is a frost forecast.

Glasshouse
Potted TOMATO 'Alicante', 'Gardener's Delight' and 'Summer Sweet' into 10 litre pots.

Potted PEPPERS and AUBERGINES into 7.5 litre pots.

Potted MELON 'Bastion' and TOMATO 'Beefeater' and 'Auriga' into 3litre pots.

Potted TOMATO 'Sultana' into 1 litre pots.

Potted TOMATO 'Alicante' and 'Golden Peardrop' into 7cm (3") pots.

Sown SQUASH 'Crown Prince', 'Gold Nugget', 'Baby Bear' and 'Cobnut' and MARROW 'Tiger Cross', 'Table Dainty', 'Long Green Trailing', 'Long Green Bush' and 'Tivoli' into 7cm (3") pots.

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4

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