In the garden: Signs suggest that we are in for a fine summer

April is proving to be a very agreeable month so far, but let us not get complacent, the night-time temperatures are still taking a dip, and young and germinating plants will benefit from protection for another few weeks.

Cold frames the length and breadth of the country are starting to come under pressure as seedlings germinate, are pricked out, and need to be moved on.

The days have been sunny, with great drying for the last week or two, so much so that, dare I say it... we could do with a drop of rain!

There is lots of speculation at this time of the year about impending signs of a good summer ahead. Birds nesting high up in the tree is thought to be one such sign, and when they nest low, predictions of a wet and windy summer are on the cards.

This year the birds seem to be nesting high, so fingers crossed!

The bud bursts on oak and ash trees are watched closely this time of the year also, with the saying ‘ash before oak, we are in for a soak, and oak before ash, we are in for a splash’ indicating that the appearance of ash foliage before oak foliage does not bode well for the summer ahead, whereas oak foliage appearing before ash is a more favourable indication.

Oak appears to have the edge on ash this year, so again the signs are good.

Some deciduous foliage has unfurled on shrubs and trees such as hazel, guelder rose, birch and maple, but many of the larger trees like beech and limes have not appeared yet, which leaves the canopy open, giving the chance for plants like bluebells, violas, wild garlic and cowslips to flower when light levels are high.

This means that the opportunity for a woodland walk to admire these spring beauties is still on the cards, but the window is short so be sure not to miss it over the next few weeks.

One of my favourite places for a walk at this time of the year is Courtmacsherry Wood, where there is the unique opportunity to experience deciduous woodland and waves lapping against the shore side by side.

There are many other local walks to consider now with the canopy open - The Regional Park in Ballincollig, Glengarriff Woods and our own Blarney Castle and Gardens offer some picturesque spring scenes not to be missed this month.

Meanwhile, swallow watch is underway as we anxiously await this little bird’s arrival after over-wintering in Africa.

They provide strong evidence that summer is not far away, and the sight and sound they provide is synonymous with long summer’s evenings, growth, and colour in the garden.

There have been sightings in some parts of the country, but not in my part of the world just yet.

Seed sowing is happening in earnest, with ground being prepared outdoors now as well, with the soil drying out well over the last few weeks and temperatures rising with increased sunshine and day length.

Covering the soil for the winter months with a green manure or a mulch of some description helps to preserve nutrients and prevent leaching.

Green manures can be cut down and turned into the soil now, as it will take a few weeks for the material to break down and integrate back into the soil surface.

Organic and plastic mulches can generally be left in place and planted through providing valuable weed suppressant and water conservation on the surface of the soil.

Compost heaps can be uncovered and spread on beds if adequately broken down. They may be dry after a winter of being covered, so a good soaking with the garden hose will help to accelerate decomposition, and also turning, if necessary, will increase oxygen and enhance break-down before use in the garden.

If compost is crumbly and ready for use, then spreading it on the surface of beds and leaving it for a few weeks before planting out or sowing seeds is a good idea to create what is known as a ‘stale seed bed’.

It involves leaving the seeds of any viable weeds germinate for a few weeks and then hoeing them off on a dry and sunny day before planting anything into the soil.

When hoeing is undertaken on a dry and sunny day, then the roots of weeds are left exposed and will dry out, wilt and die.

If this was done on a wet and dull day, then there is a risk that the weed seedlings would re-root on the surface of the soil.

In the vegetable garden, a hoe is one of the most time and back-saving tools. The key to using it is that it is done often and at the right time. Using this tool to disturb the surface of the soil when seedlings are young and not creating too much competition for crops will help the crops to get established and grow stress-free.

It also makes sense to grow crops in rows, as the area in between the rows can easily be kept weed- free using a hoe.

There are many different types of this tool, some of the most popular are a draw hoe, oscillating hoe and dutch hoe, and the best test is to use one and decide which works best for your soil type, the crop being grown, and personal preference.

The annual spring plant sale is taking place at Fota this Sunday, April 13, and as always it promises to be a great day out.

There will be specialist nurseries from all over the country in attendance as well as local artists and artisan producers.

Entry is €5 per adult and the event will run from 11am to 4pm.