Spring well and truly arrives this month as trees and shrubs burst into fresh green leaf and gardens and hedgerows are decked with pink and white blossom. Warm days should tempt even the most reluctant gardener out to catch up with the jobs that can't be put off any longer. For many people, the lawn will be the first priority. It's probably looking pretty sad after the winter, but don't worry. There's an enormous range of J. Arthur Bower lawncare products to help you get your lawn in tip-top condition.

ESSENTIAL JOBS CHECKLIST FOR APRIL

• Give your lawn a feed and treat moss and weeds if necessary.
• Plant new shrubs, perennials and rock plants.
• Plant maincrop potatoes and onion sets.
• Sow vegetables, herbs and annual flowers.
• Divide and replant congested perennials.
• Train in new shoots of clematis.
• Start begonias, dahlias and cannas.
• Start feeding indoor plants.

Prune roses.

• Sooner or later perennials will need dividing –ideally this should be done every three to five years. Once the plants starts to become woody or dies back at the centre it will benefit from being split up and replanted. Early April is a good time of year to tackle this. Dig up the plant and split it up into several portions, making sure each has a good share of root. Discard the woody centre. Dig over and fertilise the area for replanting, using your favourite J. Arthur Bower's soil conditioner and general plant food. Once planted, water in well and mulch.
• Garden centres are bursting with colour at this time of year and it's easy to be tempted into buying new plants. Make sure they get off to a good start by preparing the soil well and using one of the planting mixtures set out in the Quick Tips section.
• The clematis you pruned last month will be putting on masses of growth now. Spend a but of time training it and tying it in otherwise you'll find it makes a congested mass. If you get training early, you can spread the growing shoots widely over the chosen wall or fence and get a far better display of flowers. Be very careful with the new shoots as they are very brittle and easily broken.
• The flowers of spring bulbs will be dying off now. Don't be tempted to cut the leaves and flowers down for at least six weeks after flowering as this will weaken the bulbs. By all means cut off the dead flower heads to stop them setting seed. Once you've done this, give the clumps a generous feed with one of J. Arthur Bower's Liquid Plant foods. This will help the bulbs build up so that you get an even better display next spring.
• Annual seeds can be sown in the open garden now. If you sow them in rows you'll find it easier to thin them, and to tell them apart from weed seedlings. Don't sow them too thickly. It's a good idea to sow after there's been a good downpour as the moisture in the soil will help the seeds germinate quickly. Do water if it becomes very dry..

• This really is your last chance to prune bedding roses. Don't worry if they've already made lots of growth – all that will happen is that flowering is delayed. The plants will benefit from tough pruning. Honestly! And don't forget to feed them once the job is done.

• Give your lawn the pick me up it needs to ensure a smooth green carpet. Choose the appropriate J .Arthur Bower's product and use according to the instructions. Be careful not to use if the grass is wet or you could end up with scorched grass.
• If you garden on heavy soil which becomes easily compacted, consider using J. Arthur Bower's Lawn Dressing, which will improve the soil structure promoting strong root growth and healthy grass.

• Continue to sow summer bedding. Last month's sowings should be ready to prick out now.
• Sow tomatoes in pots – if you don't have a greenhouse a warm windowsill is fine.
• Continue to start summer-flowering plants such as Fuchsias, pelargoniums, Begonias and dahlias into growth.

• Keep displays looking good by dead-heading and watering more frequently.

• Plant second early potatoes at the beginning of the month and maincrop varieties at the end of the month
• Plant out onion sets in rows, making sure you leave enough space between them for hoeing out the weeds.
• Continue to sow outdoors or under cloches – leeks, broad beans, beetroot, lettuce, parsnips, peas, mange-tout and spinach can all be treated in this way.
• Brussels sprouts and summer cauliflower and cabbage is best sown into a seed bed before transplanting in May.

• Basil is one of the more tricky herbs to grow from seed. It hates cold, damp conditions, so is best sown in a warm greenhouse or on a warm windowsill. Ideally the temperature shouldn't fall below 13 C (55 F). Sow very thinly and prick out the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle. Keep them in a sunny but well-ventilated place

• Apply a general plant food, either J. Arthur Bower's Growmore or Fish, Blood and Bone, around fruit bushes, trees and strawberry plants.
• If frost is forecast, spread fleece over flowering fruit trees and bushes to protect the blossom.

• If tadpoles have turned up in your pond make sure they have clumps of pondweed to give them shelter from marauding goldfish.
• If you have a piece of your garden that's always soggy, why not consider turning it into a bog garden. You'll need to dig out the soil to a depth of about 12 inches before putting a liner in. Soil should consist of J Arthur Bower's Top Soil mixed half an half with peat, or a peat-substitute if you prefer. Dust over with Growmore or Fish, Blood and Bone before planting.. Among the plants you can choose are Astilbes, many varieties of primula and Iris and ferns.

• Many alpine plants are at their best in spring. If you don't have room for a traditional rockery or you can't be bothered with one, don't worry. You can still grow these lovely plants. The easiest way to start is probably in an old sink or similar shallow container. Lay fine mesh netting over the container base and place broken crocks over the drainage holes. Then add about 3 inches of J. Arthur Bowers's coarse grit. Make up a planting mixture by mixing one part top soil, one part peat or peat substitute and one part grit. Fill the container to within one inch from the top with this mixture. You can add pieces of tufa rock as you put in the compost. Then it's ready for planting. It's worth going to a specialist alpine nursery and asking for plants that are small and slow-growing otherwise your trough could be swamped. When you've finished planting top-dress the trough with an inch of coarse grit.

Look at our information pages. The aim is to cut out the mystique that surrounds many common tasks, and to explain in a simple way, why and how to do them. This way, we hope to help you enjoy your garden more, and get the best out of it.

Under each topic, you'll also find a guide to the wide range of J Arthur Bower's products available to help you with that particular task. The choice is yours.