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The weather is getting warmer and springtime is just around the corner. We can’t wait to get our outdoor space ready for the new season. It’s is a wonderful time to enjoy the natural fresh air, harvest fresh produce, and reconnect with nature. That said, preparing a spring garden can be a bit of a challenge.
But don’t give up hope, as hopefully, you can imagine a warm summer’s day with the sun on your face, as you sit and watch the wildlife on your bird feeders or water feature. How idyllic does that sound?
1) Clean Up Your Garden
Put the winter cold behind you and prepare for some warmer weather. A great way to enjoy some fresh air is by tidying your garden to give your property the perfect family outdoor space.
You can start by removing all the leaves and debris as they can spoil your lawn. It’s a good idea to remove the organic matter, as it can go straight into your compost pile. This will help your flower beds look beautiful and lush, so you’re giving your soil free food for its beauty.
If you have limited space in your shed or have converted your garage into an office then use a garden storage box to store all your outdoor items and power tools. They are ideal if you want to protect your outdoor essentials.
With the winter over, your deck and patio need a good cleaning. For speed and efficiency, use a pressure washer to get the job done as it’s the best tool to remove dirt generated over the winter months. You don’t have to sacrifice a whole weekend of scrubbing on your hands and knees to achieve a great finish. A jet washer can make short work of any grime.
2) Decking Project
If you’re looking for a place to relax in your garden where you can either enjoy the sun, watch the stars or eat with your family, then creating a patio or decking space would be just for you.
Decking or patio projects can be a huge project for the unskilled, especially if you’ve never done it before. It’s time to put in those long hours of work and you have the advantage of starting in the Spring as the weather will be dry enough for you to get the work done and you would be able to enjoy it in the summer.
You can build your own patio or decking and create it in your own design. Then you have the right space for entertaining family and friends outdoors. Alternatively there are landscaping experts who can build you a terrace and it’s best to consult multiple companies in the area to get a selection of quotes.
3) Cut Your Lawn
You’ll be spending the majority of your time on the lawn so you’ll want to cut your grass to a low level where you can enjoy relaxing or lying on its surface.
In the springtime when the grass begins to grow you can get it cut, but leave it as long as possible to ensure all the insects that lay eggs can hatch. Use a mower that uses the highest setting for the first cut to avoid shocking it and causing any damage to.
Feel free to level off the uneven patches of your lawn and add new grass seed to rejuvenate the dead grass patches.
Make sure to use a roller to go over grass that has been lifted over the winter months by frost. Worm casts are more visible in dry weather, so a good idea is to use a broom to get rid of them. If you see any areas of moss you can apply some moss killer to get rid of it.
To help with lawn care, you might want to consider a professional service who will come every few months to feed and remove weeds.
4) Start Growing Your Food
If you’re interested in getting back into growing your own vegetables and food collections, then the best time to get started is now. Check the back of your seeds packs for details of when to sow and when the crops should be ready.
Vegetable seeds require sunlight, water, and protection from cold temperatures before they can germinate and become beautiful plants. They are very sensitive to temperature changes, and Spring is the perfect time to sow them.
A few that you can plant in the spring months (March and April) include greens like lettuces, leeks and spinach. We also recommend using good multipurpose compost to give them the nutrients they need.
Popular choices for amateur gardeners are tomatoes, radishes, carrots, onions, peas, beans, and fruit trees. These can also be grown in pots to save your flower beds for border plants.
The best method to get started is to invest in a propagator. You can help your tomato plants to germinate faster by providing a stable environment. The propagator is like a mini-greenhouse, with vents to control the temperature inside and protect your seedlings from wind-carried diseases and hungry slugs.
5) Prune Your Plants
You’ve spent all winter nurturing your plants like your daffodils, tulips and shrubs, and now they’re ready to flourish. But before you get comfortable with all that growth, it’s time to prune your perennials and get them ready for the new season. To make pruning easier, make sure to use a gardening knife or a pair of secateurs. You can prune your plants in a variety of ways. You can prune them to encourage new growth, remove dead or diseased branches, or keep your plants in a neat shape.
After pruning, you should be sure to mulch your plants with a layer of soil. This will help to retain water and keep the soil in place, which means less work for you later.
Tree trimming may be harder due to size, in which case you might need professional arborists who will also remove the garden waste.
6) Get Rid of Weeds
Weeds are annoying. They’re a pain to get rid of, and they can make your flowers beds look unsightly. In the warmer sunshine weeds will be rampaging, so now is the time to get rid of them. Be sure to remove them from the soil and not just from the plants so start by raking away all the dead leaves so you can clearly see what is growing.
Pull up all the weeds from around the base of the plants. Also, remove any weeds from the bed itself if you are certain what is not spring bulbs. This will help to keep the soil in place and prevent it from washing away in the spring. If you have any perennial weeds in your spring garden, you can also use a weed killer to help keep the lawn in check.
You can also use a weed killer with a pre-emergence application to keep weeds at bay before they even sprout. This will help to prevent weeds from growing, especially in the bed itself. Just be aware using toxic weed killer will harm the wildlife.
It’s worth noting local trees that overhang the garden too, as the Sycamore seeds will start sprouting and should be pulled out as early as possible.
7) Clean Up Your Garden Furniture
If you’ve been neglecting your outdoor furniture over the winter, then use the spring period to get it sorted. If you have wooden garden furniture, now is the time to sand it down and apply a fresh coat of paint or varnish on any furniture that needs it. Take care to ensure that you don’t use any paint thinner, as this can affect the quality of your wooden furniture.
If you have metal furniture then you have the issue that it can rust so the best way to clean them is to mix come making soda with water to create a thick paste. Then apply the paste gently using a cleaning cloth and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes. After that, you can use wire wool to scrub it off.
8) Plant colourful flowers
Flowers can not only brighten up every garden, but they can also be a haven for bees and other insects. Scented flowers like roses can be free standing or climb up trellis on fences. Hanging baskets can be very useful for people with limited bedding space, and pansies look great.
When shopping for plants you will need to check the labels for clear instructions on sunlight needed and ensure the right ones are planted in shady areas or under tree canopies. You don’t need to be a master gardener if you do your research and understand the below.
What are annual, biennial and perennial plants?
Annuals are plants that only last a single growing season, leaving just seeds. Vegetables are a good example.
Biennials are plants that flower in their second season after germination and grow just leaves in the first.
Perennials are popular as they live for more than two years or longer, and it’s key to know which ones these are in your garden as they will die back but regrow. It’s useful to have a system like put perennials only on the borders. We hope these spring gardening tips have helped inspire you.
