AS April gets underway, there is no sign of the rain stopping. 

But that doesn’t mean gardeners can’t start preparing for long summer days. 

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Gardeners World presenter Monty Don has shared his top gardening jobs for this month.

Some of which are, mowing a patch dedicated to playing, or carving out paths to walk on, planting out sweet peas, and starting to sow seeds indoors. 

For gardeners who like low-maintenance areas, or want to achieve beautiful flower displays, Monty recommended planting lilies now. 

In his April 2024 blog entry, he said: “Plant lilies in pots for one of the best and most fragrant of summer displays.” 

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But for best results, it’s not as simple as chucking a couple of bulbs in a pot of soil. 

The gardening expert explained how most lily varieties like ericaceous soil. 

And lilies also need “good drainage and nice, loose compost”. 

Monty suggests “mixing in plenty of leaf mould and grit into a bark-based general purpose compost”, but you could just add a couple of handfuls of perlite or vermiculite. 

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Then, plant the bulbs and scatter four inches of compost on top. 

As for where to keep them until they flower, Monty says to put them somewhere moderately shaded to start growing. 

You must also keep them well watered, and when the buds start to peep through in May and June, place them where you can enjoy them. 

Monty concluded: “In general lilies like shady roots and sunny flowers so a west or east facing sheltered spot is ideal for their flowering performance.” 

You can buy lily bulbs from a garden centre, or online nursery - or why not see if your supermarket sells them? 

Gardeners should also be aware of the nasty pest - the lily beetle - that can spoil lilies. 

The little bugs attack lilles, eating the leaves and munching the flower buds, which then become distorded and damaged when the flower opens in a couple of months. 

Keep a close eye on your lilies - with first signs being holes in the leaves. 

If you have lily beetles, they need to be removed and squashed on a regular basis.