Exact date £70 cordless lawn mower arrives in Aldi this week

Start sowing seeds

You can plant Aubergine seeds into propagator - or outdoors after the last frost. Or you could try growbags in a coldframe - and hopefully you can harvest from August onwards.  

Have a think about planting some different varieties of seeds this year - check out She Grows Veg and other sites for heirloom varieties. There’s an astonishing array on offer, like purple carrots, globe-shaped aubergines, lime green cauliflower or storage tomatoes that stay fresh for months.

Buy and plant summer bulbs

Summer flowering bulbs provide huge big blousey blooms - with some bringing a real touch of the tropics to your garden. Try Gladioli, dahlias, calla lilies, peonies and crocosmia. 

Lawncare starts now!

Start your lawn care with a boosting high nitrogen spring feed, reseed any bare patches - and you’ll probably start mowing regularly in earnest this month. If you can - keep a corner long to help wildlife. 

Check compost

Dig well rotting compost into your soil. If you have the space, it's even worth digging trenches and chucking in your rotting veg that's usually destined for the recycling bin - then cover. It adds great nutrients for free. 

Clean outside spaces

Time to blast your patios and paths with a pressure washer - if your children are responsible enough it’s a great job for them - they’ll get soaked and have fun at the same time. 

Soak sweet peas

Soak your sweet peas before sowing into long narrow pots or toilet rolls - put two seeds in a pot. These can go in an unheated greenhouse - and when there’s three or four pairs of leaves, pinch out the growing tip which will make them grow outward instead of upwards. 

Create a wildflower meadow

Sow a wildflower meadow - if you have room. A lot of shops now sell wildflower mixes to make things easier - or even seed bombs which can just be scattered onto the soil.