Déjà vu? “Although temperatures are not that far below the average, at least when the sun comes out, the cold winds make it feel chilly. If you can dodge the showers, it is quite good out in the garden, but if the ground is too wet, especially if your soil is of a heavy nature, it may be better to wait for drier weather.” (April 2023). Do not despair; looking at forecasts, it is going to get warmer.

With warmer weather a possibility, we can start thinking about planting our dahlias in the border. Traditionally dahlias are started off in pots and then hardened off for a week before they are moved to the border. If you have not started your dahlias yet, they can now be planted straight into the ground. Planting up to 15cm deep makes care during the summer more manageable; we never know what version of summer we will get. Place the tubers in the hole and fill with soil, just covering the tubers. When the tubers start to make shoots fill in the rest of the soil to ground level.