Even if we spend time tidying our garden and packing away furniture as autumn settles in, it never looks perfect going into the next spring. Poor weather often causes damage to fences and decking. The weeds grow in our borders. The lawn looks unkempt and discoloured. And generally, our gardens require some TLC before we can start to enjoy them in warmer weather. If your garden is a bit of a mess right now, here’s what you can do so that you can enjoy it throughout the summer.
Tidy Up
The first thing that you should do is tidy up. It’s hard to see what needs doing if there’s lots of debris and dirt, and things might not be as bad as they seem. Spend some time tidying up, throwing rubbish away, sweeping, mowing the lawn. And wiping things down before you do anything else.
Deep Clean Where Needed
Hopefully, after a thorough tidy, things are looking better, but there may be some areas that need a deeper clean. You might need to scrub furniture that’s been left out. As well as tackle any moss that’s grown on fences, and either scrub or jet-wash your decking to remove a build-up of dirt.
Tackle the Weeds
Unfortunately, if you’ve got grass, plants, or even gaps between paving slaps, some weeds are bound to have taken hold while growth has been slow. Early spring is the perfect time to treat and remove weeds before you start planting or feeding.
Give Your Lawn Some TLC
Once you’ve tackled the weeds, take a good look at your lawn. If you are lucky, getting back to regular mowing will be all you need to get it looking its best. But in most cases, we need to feed our lawns. And you may even need to reseed some sparser areas.
Make Repairs
Once things are clean and tidy, you’ll be able to see if there are any repairs to be made. It’s common to need to repair or replace fence panels. Especially after periods of bad weather, and some of your furniture might need tightening up.
Get Planting
Early spring is a great time to start planting. You’ll be able to see areas that need work and colour, and things will have really started to grow before summer hits. Think about adding colour and pollinators, but also growing fruit and veg.
Prepare an Outdoor Eating Area
One of the best things about summer is eating outdoors. Getting the BBQ out and set up is a great start. But make sure you’ve got plenty of outdoor seating, and room for friends and family. If your garden is too small, but you love to BBQ, take a look at kitchen tables for everyone to sit at indoors, even when you are cooking outside.
Being outdoors more is great for our physical and mental health, as well as our mood. But you won’t spend time outside this summer if you don’t love your garden. Or if you are always hiding away from everything that needs to be done. Spend some time preparing it now, and you’ll be ready to enjoy it when the temperature starts to rise.