A Potting Shed Diary for April

An April guide to growing, foraging and gently tending your patch

April is a wonderful month, filled with muscari, tulips, spring snowflakes, apple blossom, magnolias, and the first forget-me-nots of the season. It’s not a month of abundance when it comes to harvests, in fact, it’s often referred to as the hungry gap, the point in the year where there's a real shortage of fresh vegetables and salad.

But it’s also a pivotal month in the garden, a time to sow, prepare, and plan. April is perfect for starting seeds indoors, or outdoors under cold frames and cloches. If your soil is warming up and you're confident the last frost has passed, you can begin direct sowing into the earth. It’s wise to stagger your sowing with a few repeat sessions as temperatures begin to climb.

This month is all about sowing, watering, pricking out, and potting on. It's also a good time to think about companion planting:

Try calendula, borage, nasturtiums, sweet peas, and cornflowers to attract pollinators.

Sow spring onions amongst carrots to deter carrot fly.

Plant French marigolds near tomatoes to keep pests at bay.

Consider adding a flowering currant bush, its clusters of pink flowers are a magnet for bees and early pollinators.

Here in Devon, we’ve been busy sowing flowers, salad, and vegetables. We took things gently at first, as we were away during the sunny start to the month and didn’t want to overwhelm our very helpful garden waterer! One wholesome highlight has been making a small wildlife pond with the kids, a simple project that we’re finishing off with a solar-powered fountain. We’re so excited to see what creatures it might attract.

Jobs for April

• Prune lavender

• Plant out dahlia tubers

• Plant summer-flowering bulbs and tubers

• Keep potting on seedlings

• Turn the compost heap

• Plant out established sweet peas

• Add pond plants

What to Sow

(A mix of vegetables and cut flowers that are relatively easy to grow. Start under cover or in a greenhouse if needed)

• Leeks

• Cucumber

• Courgettes

• Runner beans

• Carrots

• Beetroot

• Radishes

• Peas

• Kale

• Cabbage

• Spinach

• Tomatoes

• Parsley

• Borage

• Spring onions

• Pumpkins

• Florence fennel

• Celery

• Swiss chard

• Calendulas

• Rudbeckia

• Nigella

• Corncockle

• Nasturtiums

• Cosmos

What to Plant

• Herbs

• Lettuce

• Potatoes

• Onions

• Strawberries

• Artichokes

• Broad beans

Harvest This Month

• Rhubarb

• Radishes

• Beetroot

• Salad leaves

• Asparagus (if you’re lucky!)

What to Forage

• Wild garlic

• Nettles

Mindful Garden Moment

Whatever size space you have, whether it’s a garden, balcony, or sunny windowsill -you can sow a simple tray of herbs and lettuce to enjoy later in spring and summer. It’s a gentle, rewarding task and a lovely way to slow down.

It’s also a great one to do with children. The quick germination and fast growth means they can see results quickly.

A watering ritual, the scent of fresh herbs, and the joy of harvesting your own leaves, is a simple reminder of how small things can grow into something nourishing.

Nettle and Garlic Soup

A simple, wholesome springtime soup using one of nature’s most underrated (and free!) ingredients. Nettles are full of nutrients and perfect for foraging in April.

Ingredients

• 100g young nettle leaves (use gloves to handle!)

• 1 large garlic clove or a handful of wild garlic leaves

• 1 large knob of butter

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 stick of celery, chopped

• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped

• 350g potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 600ml vegetable or chicken stock (plus a little extra if needed)

• A splash of cream or crème fraîche, to serve

Method

1. Prepare your nettles: Rinse and remove the tough stalks. Only use the young, tender leaves.

2. In a large pan, melt the butter with the olive oil.

3. Add the onion and potato, and cook gently until softened and turning golden.

4. Stir in the garlic (or wild garlic) and celery and cook for a few minutes.

5. Add the carrot, nettles, and stock. Simmer gently for around 10 minutes until all the vegetables are soft.

6. Blitz with a hand blender until smooth. Add more stock if needed to adjust the consistency.

7. Stir through a splash of cream or crème fraîche, season to taste, and serve with crusty bread.

Wishing you a peaceful, gently unfolding April, whether you're sowing seeds, stirring soup, or simply pausing to notice the small changes around you. May your days hold little joys, muddy hands, and moments that root you in the season.

Until next time,
Charlotte x

P.S. If you missed last week’s letter, you can catch up here it was all about the week the garden changed. And next time, I’ll be sharing some simple ways to welcome Beltane and the turning of the season into May.

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