Nature has a way of compensating us: the long winter and cold wet spring we have just had to endure means that plants held back by the poor weather are now coming into bloom at the same time as the later flowering varieties, resulting in a compensatory package of huge proportions. Sheffield Park and Garden is now awash with spring colours; the magnolias, rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias are revealing blooms of lilac, burnt orange, fiery red and vibrant yellow, and the scent is amazing.

The garden team are already in full flow on the grass cutting front, and I expect you are too. Don’t cut your lawns too short, and leave some long areas for wildflowers and those all important insects and other wildlife. I would also suggest that you resist feeding your lawns, as this just promotes lush soft growth, which is not very hard wearing and requires extra cuts. Now is the time to really be on guard on the weeding front too – use a hoe or a hand trowel for tighter, more delicate areas.

This is a good time to check your trees and shrubs for general health. At Sheffield Park and Garden we have more than 14,000 trees and shrubs, and visual inspections mean you can head off any potential problems nice and early. Look for lack of vigour, poor foliage colour, bleeds on trunks and die-back. Act quickly and be decisive: better to remove a sick plant now, than to let it infect its neighbours.

Take photographs when you inspect your plants. Date them and use them as future reference material. We do fixed-point photography at Sheffield Park, and this lets us see how the garden changes, and what tweaks we can apply to enhance its appearance.

If you get the chance, bring your camera to Sheffield Park for some springtime inspiration. I know from personal experience what a lovely cream tea our restaurant offers, and our shop has new lines all the time. I can guarantee you will get a warm welcome and with that camera in tow, there’ll be plenty of colourful photo opportunities!