Spring is here, but as gardeners rejoice, they also tentatively head to their gardens to begin the process of getting them ready for the summer. Spring is a time of ‘out with the old and in with the new’, various cleaning tasks and an array of maintenance jobs.
Here, garden specialists Oeco Garden Rooms provide their top Spring gardening tips so that you can get your garden summer-ready.
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Garden Spring Cleaning and Maintenance
With many gardening tasks taking a hiatus over the winter months and with gardens inevitably looking tied and uninviting, a spring clean is one of the first tasks in refreshing your garden for the season ahead.
Start by removing any fallen leaves and clearing any borders and beds back to bare soil. You can use the dead organic matter you collected in your compost pile to be used later as a natural fertiliser, but do not put weeds in the compost, as the seeds can germinate and cause problems later down the line.
Plants that survived the winter should be trimmed back to allow new growth to form and a great time to do this is after the plant has bloomed in early spring to prevent cutting off any future flowers and to prevent damage from frost. Pruning plants in spring also gives them the best chance of blooming again in the summer.
Your lawn is one of the most important spaces in the garden and must be looked after in the spring to ensure a healthy start to the season. Cutting the grass on a higher setting than usual the first couple of times will help with new growth, without putting too much strain on the grass; you can then lower your lawnmower to your preferred height as the lawn gets stronger.
Patio areas and decking should also be cleaned in spring to prevent moss and algae build-up which can make these areas slippery. Warm soapy water and a hard bristle brush makes light work of most of the dirt, but for stubborn stains, a patio cleaner and pressure washer is a great choice.
Spring is also the time to fix any issue in the garden such as broken or rotten fences, tired-looking garden furniture or old garden sheds. Clean the surfaces and repair any damaged pieces before staining or painting them to protect them over the coming months. Exterior stains and paints are now available in a range of different colours, so why not experiment with adding pops of colour throughout your garden.
In with the new
Flowers and plants are an essential consideration in any garden, and as trends change so does the types of plants used in the garden. Many gardeners are now using native plants and flowers as they look to be more conscious of the nature around them and helping local wildlife to survive and thrive.
Planting nectar-rich flowers is an excellent way of attracting butterflies and bees into the garden. Species such as Hebe and Lavender are particularly popular and produce an array of purple flowers that attracts a wide range of insects. Daffodils are the quintessential symbol of spring, while pansies are ideal for smaller borders and hanging baskets.
Spring is also a great time to freshen up the soil in your garden, applying some mulch and compost to feed the soil and the plants. Perennials such as the Pasque flower and Bellflowers will benefit from the increased nutrients and will decorate your garden with an array of vibrant colours.
Unlocking your garden’s potential
Once the cleaning and maintenance tasks are done, it is time to look at going the extra mile and creating a space that the whole family can enjoy during the summer. Despite the unpredictable weather, outside entertaining is one of the most popular pastimes during the warmer weather.
Comfortable furniture is vital to provide a space in which to relax and unwind, while budding cooks can create culinary masterpieces with BBQs and outdoor ovens. Café-style festoon lighting and fire pits are a great choice when it comes to keeping the ambience going throughout the night.
For those looking to extend their living space without having to build an expensive extension, garden rooms are a perfect choice. Available in a range of different sizes to suit any space, garden rooms can be used for multiple purposes, from an outdoor entertaining area or bar to a place for relaxing and unwinding in away from the main house.
Technology isn’t something that you associate with the garden apart from lawnmowers, strimmers and the odd power tool, but as technology makes our lives more comfortable in the home, it was inevitable that it would be integrated into the garden.
There is now an array of hi-tech gadgets available to make gardeners’ lives easier – from smart apps that remind you to water your plants to probes that analyse the soil and lets you know of impending problems, technology is everywhere.
Remote-controlled ambient lighting and heating systems have been around for a while now and continue to improve, as do advanced sprinkler systems to make sure that every part of your garden gets the right amount of water.
Oeco Garden Rooms is a family run business and has been manufacturing and installing timber-framed structures for over 10 years. The company was initially founded to satisfy the growing number of people who work from home and the essential need for more space and a separate working environment away from the main house. However, over the years, its garden rooms, offices and studios have been purchased by customers from all backgrounds to extend their living space for a multitude of uses.
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