Seed-sowing and pricking out are at full throttle in the Robson household.

I managed to limit myself a bit better than usual this year but, even so, there are still plenty sprouting away and the windowsills are adorned with them.

I have only just put my sweet peas out in their planting places and my caution proved to be right. Late frosts are an absolute pain, especially if you have something magnificent growing like a magnolia; the heart sinks when those beautiful flowers get clobbered overnight.

For smaller stuff, keep fleece ready and be prepared to get out and chuck it over stuff if a frost is forecast.

You can direct-sow annuals now if you have not already done it. All the things I mentioned a few weeks back – poppies, marigolds, Nigella, Phacelia, don’t like a rich soil so use any sunny but neglected areas. Make sure the site is clear.

If you are a delphinium or lupin fan then you must be vigilant – those pesky slugs and snails find the newly emerging shoots a tasty snack so some sort of protection is advisable.

Watch out for weeds as they are really going strong now – I am noticing Acer and Rowan seedlings popping up in my garden and if I don’t deal with them immediately they rapidly develop.

Your lawn will need some attention. If you need to over-sow bare patches then you can get on with that now. Just rake over the patch and mix some grass seed with compost.

If moss is a problem then you must deal with it – use a combined lawn feed and mosskiller. The moss will go black and that is the time to rake it out. There is no point in not killing it off first as you will just be spreading it about the place.

The other thing to think about is why the moss is there in the first place. It likes compacted shade, usually dry but sometimes wet.

This means that aerating in autumn is important. Get your fork and whack it into the compacted areas. Wiggle backwards and forwards – the fork, not you – and brush some compost over the resulting holes. You may have an area under the shade of a tree where the lawn is more moss than anything else.

Unless you can lift the tree canopy and let in more light, lawn grasses are not going to survive there. Reshape the lawn and plant the area up with shade-loving perennials like ferns instead.

* We have had to cancel a few of the speakers we were hoping to have.

We still have Brian Davis on May 15. His books are a must for anybody studying planting design. Primarily he will be talking about climbers and wall shrubs.

On September 18 we will have Helen Yemm back with us. She will be talking about the trials and triumphs of downsizing a garden. Many apologies if you bought tickets for the other speakers – you will be refunded.