Brian Kidd’s jobs for the weekend

A generic photo of a water lily in a pond.

Hardy annuals such as godetia, pot marigolds and cornflowers are available at garden centres. These can be sown directly into the soil for a quick display of flowers.

Plant little pinches of seeds about a foot apart and in five weeks time, prick them out where gaps can be seen. A nice job for children because these flowers bloom quite soon after sowing.

Evergreen shrubs can be moved now, it may seem too late but lots of evergreens become scorched if they are moved during winter. Spray the foliage once a day to keep the leaves turgid, rather than keeping the soil too wet.

Plant water lilies or split existing ones. When planting into baskets, use loam and cover the top with a layer of grit, this helps prevent too much soil leaving the surface of the container and prevents the water becoming polluted.

Sow seeds of primulas which are grown in greenhouses. Try some Primula malacoides or Primula Kewensis. Primula obconica is another beautiful plant but some folk are allergic to the hairs on the leaves, the others don’t cause this problem. Sow all primula seeds in the light, the don’t germinate in darkness.

Plant dahlia tubers outdoors but be prepared to cover the shoots as they grow above the soil level otherwise frost will cause the rapid growing shoots to become blackened. Dahlia tubers are stll available at Keydell with lovely pictures on the packs. Look at the heights, not just the picture.

There are some lovely clematis plants at Keydell Nurseries ready to plant in the garden. Plant the newly purchased plant in well prepared ground 2 inches deeper than the surface in the pot. Try to find a 12 “ long piece of plastic down pipe to put over the stem and press the end of the pipe into the soil to a depth of 2 inches. This reduces the possibility of clematis wilt by over 75 per cent.

Remove the dead leaves around the bases of bearded iris plants, this will enhance the overall appearance of the plant which is admired not only for the flower but the foliage too. It looks wonderful alongside all forms of hosta.