Caring for Shrubs in April

Do you know which types of shrubs to cut back in April? Would you like to know the name of new English Rose introductions? Read on for the names of three new roses that will be shown at the Chelsea Flower Show in May 2002.

New David Austin Roses

Among the new roses that will be launched at Chelsea this year, David Austin will be showing ‘Royal Jubilee’ (Aushunter) in celebration of HM the Queen’s golden jubilee. This deliciously scented variety with salmon-pink blooms is bound to sell well.

Two more of the six new David Austin English Roses are ‘Mortimer Sackler’ - a variety that will make a 5ft upright shrub (or an 8ft climber) with fragrant, soft-pink flowers. And the new rose ‘Spirit of Freedom’, that will suit anyone seeking a large shrub bearing flowers with tightly packed, soft-pink petals.

Protect your roses

Gardeners, who generally favour organic gardening methods, may still use well-tested products to protect their roses from pests and diseases. Rose growers turn to Roseclear 2 or RoseClear Gun to control greenfly and guard against fungus diseases, including blackspot and mildew.

It is a good idea to add homemade compost to rose beds, unless this job was done earlier, when the roses were pruned in February or March. A rose fertiliser may also be applied at this time. Burn any leaves that are on the ground beneath the roses, to help prevent diseases being carried over from one year to the next.

Compost boxes can be attractive

While on the subject of compost, a well-made compost box definitely improves the appearance of a garden. A box constructed from wooden slats, not only looks rather splendid and efficient in the garden, but saves the gardener pounds that would otherwise be spent on bags of organic fertiliser. A handyman can make compost boxes fairly easily from planks of wood - carefully sawn to size - or purchase a ready-made box from the GoneGardening shop.

Care of ericaceous shrubs

One of my scented rhododendrons is looking rather winter weary. The leaves are smaller than they should be and a little droopy. However the good news is that, judging by the number of flower buds, the plant should soon regain its strength and continue to thrive, providing it receives a special fertiliser that will prevent the leaves from yellowing at the edges.

Rhododendrons are ericaceous shrubs and, like many other plants such as camellia, cassiope and heather, they require an acid soil. At this time of year, a dose of Miracle-Gro Ericaceous Plant Food is beneficial. This fertiliser contains the nutrients that lime-hating plants and shrubs require. Regularly applications are strongly recommended for rhododendrons, especially if they are growing in containers, or in districts where clay soil is predominant.

Time to prune

Pruning of rhododendrons is not necessary as an annual job. However, it does help to cut out any dead or unsightly branches after flowering. Try to remove as few of the healthy leaves as possible.

Deciduous shrubs are pruned after flowering. Some shrubs may be cut back to within a few feet of the ground, to encourage strong new growth. Many hedges are trimmed back to the old wood (but not into it) in April and May.

Hard pruning of the colourful dogwoods is recommended. Cut them right back to a few inches (8-10cm) from ground level. This will encourage lots of the new young, stems that are of brighter hue than the old wood.

Take out old stems of forsythia after flowering - quite drastic pruning will be tolerated. Kerria japonica will also be improved if between now and June, according to area, old stems that have flowered are removed.

Buddleja davidii, beloved of butterflies, is greatly improved by severe pruning each spring. I love the strange scent of all buddlejas. I like also the grey leaves of the orange-centred blue-flowered variety ‘Lochinch’, that are decorative even in winter; but even this delightful shrub benefits from hard pruning. Vigorous new shoots soon appear and grow rapidly to flower in summer.

Evergreen shrubs

Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’, a bold shrub with yellow splashed, green leaves is pruned in May, although annual pruning is unnecessary.

Lavenders are evergreen or evergrey shrubs. Remove the crisp dry flower stalks of last year’s flowers; clip out the dead branches and trim to tidy shapes without cutting into old wood.

Rosemary, a shrub with aromatic foliage, becomes untidy surprisingly quickly. Flowers may be purple-blue, light blue, pink or white. They are welcome in April, but when they fade, trim branches to the size required by cutting them back from the side of steps and paths.

Privet hedges will be greatly improved by a trim after winter. Gardeners in the south of Britain may already have completed this task, although repeat pruning will be necessary. An electric hedge-trimmer is a great time-saver.