April Newsletter

Open Day and Plant Sale

Saturday 18^th April 10am-12pm

Maidenhead Community Centre

We look forward to welcoming visitors to explore our garden and learn about our work.

Whether you're a long-time supporter or a first-time visitor, our open days offer an opportunity to explore the garden, meet the team and some of our volunteers, and discover the positive impact of gardening on physical and mental health and wellbeing.

We have a good selection of plants for sale from Box Balls to Verbena, Herbs and Polyanthus.  We’ll also be serving soft beverages including tea, coffee, and delicious homemade cakes.

All proceeds from open day events support our vital work.

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What to do in the garden in April

April is one of the most exciting and high action months in the garden—spring growth surges, sowing begins in earnest, and it’s the perfect moment to shape the season ahead, focusing on sowing seeds, planting hardy perennials, and controlling early weeds as soil temperatures rise.  Whilst you are busy don’t forget to take moments to appreciate your garden, to listen to the bees and other insects busying themselves, butterflies fluttering in the breeze and smell the perfume of early flowers in the sun.

Sowing and Planting

• Direct Sowing: Sow hardy annuals such as sunflowers, cornflowers, poppies, wildflowers, and vegetables like spinach, radishes, and carrots directly into warm, prepared soil.

• Indoor Sowing: Start half-hardy annuals (cosmos, zinnias) and tender vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers) under cover

• Planting: Pot up dahlia tubers in pots to grow on and plant summer-flowering bulbs like lilies and gladioli.   Plant primulas and polyanthus for instant colour at the front of borders

• Vegetables: Plant out chitted first early potatoes. 

Garden Maintenance and Care

• Weeding: Actively hoe borders to control annual weeds before they take hold.

• Feeding: Apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer to shrubs, trees, and roses.

• Lawn Care: Start regular mowing, set blades high for the first cut, and apply a high-nitrogen spring lawn feed.

• Watering: Water newly planted shrubs and container plants as temperatures rise.

• Soil: Improve soil drainage by adding organic matter to heavy soil. 

Pruning and Protection

• Pruning: Prune spring-flowering shrubs (like Forsythia) immediately after they flower. Cut back lavender and rosemary, avoiding old wood.  Prune hydrangeas, cutting back old stems to a healthy lower shoot.

• Protection: Protect young plants and seedlings from slug and snail damage using traps or organic barriers.

• Support: Put in stake supports for tall perennials early to allow them to grow through the supports. 

Greenhouse & Cold Frame

• Increase ventilation on warm days; use roof vents to avoid cold draughts.

• Harden off young plants gradually before planting out.

• Prick out seedlings once they have true leaves.

• Sow microgreens (kale, mustard) for quick harvests.

• Clean greenhouse glazing to maximise light.

Fruit & Veg

• Plant second‑early and maincrop potatoes by the end of the month.

• Sow tomatoes, chillies, courgettes in pots for planting out in late May/June.

• Continue planting asparagus crowns and Jerusalem artichokes.

• Successional sowings: rocket, radish, lettuce, salad onions.

• Direct sow carrots, beetroot, peas (or start peas indoors if mice are an issue).

• Feed spring cabbage, onions, garlic, shallots with a high‑nitrogen fertiliser.

• Pinch out broad bean tips if aphids appear.

• Use cardboard collars around brassicas to deter cabbage root fly.

Container Gardening

• Top Dressing: Top up containers with fresh compost, replacing the top 5cm if possible.

• Houseplants: Increase watering and start feeding houseplants weekly as growth resumes. 

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Upcoming Events

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Recipes of the Month

Easy Cheesy Scones

The other day, Claire and I were treated to a delicious batch of homemade scones

lovingly baked by Claire's mum - thank you Chris ! So tasty and the perfect snack any time of the day, so we're happy to share the recipe 

Ingredients

• 250g self raising flour

• 60g butter

• 125g cheddar cheese grated

• 1/2 (half) tsp mustard powder

• 1 egg

• 160ml milk 

• Salt

Method

• Pre heat the oven to 220C / 200C Fan / 425F and line two baking trays with greaseproof or parchment paper.

• Mix the flour and butter together to create breadcrumb texture.  

• Add pinch of salt.

• Add the grated cheese and mustard powder and mix together.

• Combine egg and milk. 

• Make a well in the middle of flour mixture, then slowly add the milk mixture, mixing all the time until you have a soft but firm dough. 

• Lightly sprinkle flour on to your work surface. Roll out or just pat down the dough with your hands until it is about 1.5-2cm thick. Using a cutter, cut out your scones and pop them onto the prepared baking tray.

• Brush the tops of each scone with a little milk and and sprinkle on some finely grated cheese. 

• Bake them in the oven for 10-15 minutes. They’re ready when they’ve risen and turned a nice golden brown colour.

  
  

Enjoy!

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Hot Cross Bun Pudding

For those of you that celebrate Easter or simply enjoy indulging in chocolate eggs and butter soaked hot cross buns at this time of the year, here's a suggestion on how to use up any leftovers (unlikely for some I know !) . . .

Ingredients

• 6 hot cross buns

• 75g dark chocolate

• 50g butter

• 250ml double cream

• 300ml milk

• 2 eggs

• 3 tablespoons caster sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 orange

Method

• Split the buns and butter them. 

• Chop the chocolate and sprinkle a little onto each buttered half  (keep some chocolate for later). 

• Sandwich them back together & arrange in an ovenproof dish. 

• Pour cream and milk in a pan, warm for 3-4 minutes. 

• In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract. 

• Slowly pour in the warm creamy milk and whisk til eggs and milk are combined smoothly.

• Finely grate the zest from the orange and add to mix. 

• Pour this custard mix over the buns and set aside for 30 minutes (they may float!). 

• Preheat oven to 180 C / Fan 160 C / Gas 4.  Scatter any remaining chocolate around the buns. 

• Cover dish with foil. 

• Bake for 20 minutes then remove the foil, dot extra butter over the top of each bun and bake for another 2-3 minutes til golden. 

  
  

Enjoy!    

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