How to stage your home: With a rush of houses hitting the market at this time of year, it's important that yours stands out.

A bright and well-maintained garden teeming with colour is one sure way of making your home memorable.

However, a truly stand-out garden is difficult to achieve in one fell swoop. So before the arrival of summer and the sales campaign get out to the garden and do some of the preparatory work now.

This time of year is a busy time for the gardener with lots of sowing, planting and propagating called for. Shrubs will benefit from a trim to keep them tidy and to encourage new growth.

After months of wet weather the lawn will be in need of some TLC. Moss and debris will need to be either raked out or zapped with chemical moss killer. Fertiliser can be applied to your lawn and you need to start regular checks for weeds.

The wet weather will also have washed away lots of nutrients from the soil in your flower beds so you will need to apply a general fertiliser.

Summer-flowering bulbs really need to be in by the end of April.

This is the time to maybe consider growing some plants in pots so that they can be moved into the garden to fill any gaps when the time comes.

Patio pots are a great way to provide blooms right through spring and into summer. The secret with patio pots is to keep them well fed and watered.

Hanging baskets are a great addition to any front or back garden.

Even seriously unloved homes can be given a fresh lease of life by some well placed and colourful hanging baskets.

Now is the time to plant your hanging baskets to ensure they look glorious for the sales campaign.