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.

Gardening TV and radio

Sunday

9am, Radio Leeds, Tim Crowther, Joe Maiden.

2pm, R4, Gardeners' Question Time. Pippa Greenwood, Bob Flowerdew, Carol Klein and chairman Eric Robson are in the Potting Shed to answer questions sent in by post. The gardening weather forecast is at 2.25pm.

Saturday, April 29

8am, Radio York, Gardening Phone-in. With Nigel Harrison. Telephone number 0845 300 3000.

Garden news

The Ancient Society of York Florists will be holding its Spring Show tomorrow at Askham Bryan College from 11am-3.30pm. Admission is £1 and visitors will be able to see a range of plants including ones from members of the National Auricula and Primula Society and the Wakefield Tulip and Daffodil Societies. The college will also be holding a plant sale during the morning.

Open Gardens

Sunday

In aid of British Red Cross

Upsall Castle, four miles north-east of Thirsk, off the A19. Wild woodland garden set in 16 acres with a lakeside walk. Open 2-5pm. Admission £3 adult.

Hessle West, Hessle, from the Humber Bridge follow signs for the viewing area and Hassle West. Approximately 20 village gardens open, each with its own style and character and each marked with a banner and balloon. Start the tour at any of the gardens - maps and descriptions will be available at all of them. Additional attractions include live music, face painting, a haunted woodland walk and children's hunt for painted and model hares. Open 11am-5pm. Combined admission £2.50 adult.

Settrington House, four miles south east of Malton, off the A64 at Scagglethorpe or off the B1248 at North Grimston. Large grounds with daffodils, woodland and lakeside walks, tempietto, colonnade, millennium fountain, walled kitchen garden, bog garden and newly planted anniversary copse. Open 2-5pm. Admission £3 adult.

In aid of St John Ambulance.

Mulgrave Castle, Lythe, four miles north of Whitby on the A174. Large formally planted walled garden with greenhouse, extensive parkland, woodland walk, views, Repton planned grounds adjacent to the garden with the gardens surrounding the house (not open) extended by Soane and Atkinson. Open 2-6pm. Admission £2.50 adult, 50p child.

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme

Bolton Percy Gardens, ten miles south-west of York, off the A64 York-Leeds road. Two gardens open in the village. With Bolton Percy Cemetery, where an acre of old village churchyard has been planted with garden specimens that have become naturalised over time. Creator Roger Brook will be on hand to meet visitors. Windy Ridge has a Margery Fish influenced cottage garden with an extensive collection of Elizabethan and Barnhaven primroses as well as many unusual hardy plants. Plants will be on sale including dicentras from the national collection held by Roger Brook. Open 12.30-5pm. Combined admission £3.50 adult.

Hotham Hall, Hotham, 15 miles west of Hull. Mature parkland with established gardens, Victorian pond, mixed borders, spring flowering bulbs and a lake with a bridge over to a newly planted island arboretum. Open 1-4pm. Admission £3 adult.

Ling Beeches, Ling Lane, Scarcroft, off the A58 between Wetherby and Scarcroft. Two-acre woodland garden designed by the owner with gravel paths leading around unusual trees and shrubs, ericaceous plants, bulbs, ferns and climbers. There are several garden seats and an interesting composting system. Open 2-5pm. Admission £3 adult.

Londesborough Cross, Shiptonthorpe, off the A1079 York-Hull road. Former railway goods yard transformed into a garden with large herbaceous borders, ponds, bog area, rock garden and woodland area planted with a large collection of hardy ferns and shade lovers like meconopsis and trillium. Also open Wednesday April 26 1-4pm. Open 1-5pm, admission £3 adult.

Percevall Hall Gardens, Skyreholme, off the B6265 Pateley Bridge-Grassington road. Beautiful, tranquil 16-acre garden in Wharfedale, sheltered by mixed woodland with terrace and rock gardens, fish ponds, mixed borders, daffodils, tender shrubs, woodland walk and picnic area in the old orchard. Open for the NGS 10-6pm, admission £4 adult, 75p child. Open to the public from April 1 - October 31, telephone 01756 720311 for more details.

Wednesday

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme.

Hunmanby Grange, Wold Newton, 12.5miles south-east of Scarborough on the road form Burton Fleming to Fordon. Three-acre garden created from an exposed field with wind protecting hedges and fences forming a series of smaller areas planted for year round interest with seasonal highlights.

Open 1-5pm. Admission £2.50 adult.

Londesborough Cross, details above

Ness Hall, Nunnington, off the B1257 Malton-Helmsley road. Large walled garden with mixed and herbaceous borders undergoing reconstruction and orchard with shrubs and climbing roses. Open 2-5pm. Admission £2.50 adult, £1 child.

Please note that accompanied children are free to all the above gardens unless otherwise stated. Dogs are not allowed in some of the gardens.

Updated: 09:11 Saturday, April 22, 2006