There is so much to do in the garden this month. The longer days and, hopefully, better weather should provide just the right environment to start tackling them.

Pruning is one of the jobs that needs to be done, with many shrubs beginning to show the signs of new growth. Hydrangeas, for example, that have been left with their old flower heads intact over winter to protect the plant from frosts need to be tidied up. This is easy to do, simply cut the old stems back to just above a strong looking outward facing shoot.

If the shrub is too large - Hydrangea macrophylla, the mop head and lace cap types, can get very big - choose the lowest bud and take out any thin stems as well as a few of the oldest ones.

This will reduce the size of the shrub, thin it out and encourage plenty of new growth.

Hydrangea paniculata can also be cut right back, in fact the harder it is cut back the larger the flowers will be. However, I think it is a good idea with this type of hydrangea to leave a young shrub to develop good strong stems before hard pruning.

It can be quite a twiggy plant, especially when young, and the thin stems struggle to carry the weight of large flowers.

Lighter trimming will leave a taller bush, but however it is done the shrub will immediately look neater and the new growth will relish the extra light getting to it after the pruning.

Scatter a handful of fertiliser such as chicken pellets around the base of the hydrangea, fork in lightly and water well.

Some of the early daffodils will be dying, but don't be tempted to tidy them up just yet. The foliage needs to be left on the plant because they are needed to feed the bulb in which next years blooms will develop. Spent flowers can be removed so the bulb doesn't divert energy into seed production, although this isn't necessary, especially if there many bulbs or they are being encouraged to naturalise. Leave the foliage to die back and give the bulbs a boost by watering them with a dose of tomato food.