Now that April is here everything is growing - including the weeds, warns GINA PARKINSON...

TASKS in the garden increase rapidly during April, with herbaceous plants putting on large amounts of growth and early spring flowers beginning to fade.

Not all growth will be welcome this month as weeds begin to make their presence known. Herbaceous borders that are too full for weeds in the summer are often patchy in spring and weeds will soon fill any spaces if they're not attended to quickly. Weed regularly to keep on top of them rather than leaving the job for weeks and finding it takes all day to get them out. Clearing them out by hand can be satisfying but hoeing when the soil is dry on top is just as effective and kinder on the knees and back.

Climbing plants and tall perennials will need to be tied in and supported. Delphinium stakes are best put in place when the plants are small to make it easier to tie them as they grow. The stakes look ugly to start with but will soon be hidden by the growth of the plant. Keep an eye out for slug damage too as the juicy new growth can disappear overnight once spotted by these pesky garden molluscs.

Annual climbers such as sweet peas can be supported by a wigwam made from bamboo or by twiggy prunings taken from coloured stemmed dogwoods and other shrubs cut back in March. Tie the stems in regularly to stop them becoming tangled.

Hardy climbers such as clematis will be growing rapidly and early flowering species will soon bloom. Tie the stems loosely to a support but don't be too rigid as they look best if allowed to go their own way to a certain extent.

Clematis also look good trained into trees and shrubs where they can drape themselves along the branches with only a little help when they need to be persuaded to take a certain route.

Lavender can be cut back this month. This is an important job as these attractive small shrubs, often used as low hedging, will quickly become woody if left unpruned. Lavender will not grow from old wood so check along each stem until the lowest point of new growth is found and cut just above the bud.

Annual pruning in this way will prolong the life of the plant, increase flowering and keep it in shape.

Other grey-leaved plants such as Santolina, Lotus hirsutus and Convolvulus cneorum can also be trimmed this month, although in exposed gardens it is wise to leave it to the end of the month or into May.

Updated: 09:18 Saturday, April 12, 2003