Wow! As a nation that loves to talk about the weather, how great has it been of late?

We were spoilt in the first two weeks of April with temperatures reaching a whopping 25 degrees.

As a result of this though everything in the garden is around two-and-a-half weeks early - including our 7,000 tulips.

Mother Nature likes to surprise us gardeners and it’s always nerve-wracking and exciting in equal measure when you plan a big display, as you never quite know when it will be at its peak.

With this in mind we have made the decision to go ‘live’ with our first Tulip Celebration earlier than planned and it’s now in full swing in the garden.

Visitors to the castle have been undertaking self-guided tours through the different displays but we still plan to hold garden tours and talks in the last week of April and first week of May to celebrate this wonderful flower.

Our tulip displays are looking magnificent with some really fantastic cultivars like Olympic Flame with its yellow and red stripes, Evergreen with a light green hue and Ice Cream which resembles an ice cream in a cone!

It’s good to keep your colour tulip bed tidy so deadhead tulips after flowering but give the foliage time to yellow (roughly 6 weeks) before removing it. You can lift your tulips annually once the leaves have died back then store the bulbs in a dry, warm place.

Our summer bedding plants have just arrived in plug form and we have over 7,000 to pot on and nurture in the greenhouse over the next six weeks.

Now is actually a great time to buy your summer bedding plants because there are more to choose from at this time of year.

Please bear in mind that spring often has a sting in its tail with unexpected frosts possible for another month or so, so keep your plants well protected.

It is a very busy time in the garden, but make sure you find time to have a close look at your lawn; there is more moss in lawns this year due to the mildish winter we have just had.

The moss needs to be removed before it takes over your lawn. I find that the best way to remove the moss is with an old fashioned wire rake, it is hard work but well worth it at in the end. Think of it as a great workout if you have overindulged with the chocolate eggs! Fill any bald patches with a light sprinkle of grass seed and water in.

If you have hedges then now is a good time to give them a feed.

I’ll be out this week feeding our evergreen hedges and the topiaries with pelleted chicken manure which is high in nitrogen and will help to produce plenty of lush new growth over the coming weeks.

Water the pellets in well and then dress with a good layer of well-rotted mulch to keep the moisture in and the weeds at bay.

And while the sun has produced smiles and a lot of chatter it also means that we’ve had an exceptionally dry period of April so keep an eye on your newly planted shrubs and plants and make sure you water them well.

The Tulip Celebration at Hever Castle & Gardens is now live for those wanting to take the self-guided tour.

Tours and garden talks with the head gardener Neil Miller will run from Monday April 24 to Friday April 28 and Tuesday May 2 to Sunday May 7. For info see www.hevercastle.co.uk