We know the weather is a little confusing at the moment but believe it or not, we are just about to step into summer, so if you haven’t already, it’s time to get your hands dirty!
Soon it’ll be time to get your garden really looking the part but before you do that (and while we wait for the weather to warm up a bit more) there are a few jobs you can do to prepare yourself and your garden so when the time comes, it’s all ready for you to get on with it!
Our passion for property also extends to garden so we have created this quick blog to get you on your way to the perfect garden!
Top Tip No. 1 – Clean Your Gardening Tools
Have you ever tried cutting with dirty or blunt secateurs? It doesn’t work very well… Having them clean and sharpened will not only improve their performance but it will also prevent you from introducing fungi and bacteria to fresh pruning wounds. If you look after your tools properly it can save you a lot of money and they last for years!
Top Tip No. 2 – Create A Composting Area
If you have the space to do it, why not have a compost bin? You can either buy these or make one yourself. It’s a really easy way to get rid of your garden waste without filling up your bins and then you can benefit from a rich compost to use on your garden when it has all decomposed. When you do this, it is important that you have a mixture of everything to get the full affect of the compost, so have a mixture of vegetable peelings, grass clippings, paper and wood prunings. Make sure you keep turning the compost once a month to let the air get to it.
Top Tip No. 3 – Hunt Down Your Garden Pests Now
This will save you a lot of time in the future if you deal with it earlier. Take a look at the crowns of your longer lasting plants (your perennials) and you may find slugs and snails which you need to get rid of now rather than later – they will have been sheltering from the winter. Look out for white vine weevil larvae, they like to live in compost and feed off roots, these need to be disposed of quickly. Your garden then needs to be treated to prevent further infestation.
Top Tip No. 4 – Why Not Install Some Water Butts?
Water Butts are really good for the environment, it’s FREE water (after you’ve paid for the butts themselves of course) and rain water is much better for your garden than treated, as tap water can be slightly alkaline. Make the most out of the rainfall by installing it under a down-pipe.
Top Tip No. 5 – Have A General Tidy Up
Heres the most important part in preparation for the new season, remove all the debris and old leaves from your flower beds, borders and lawn. You would be surprised how much this alone makes a difference. Cut back all the weeds and unused plants to make way for your new goods. However, this will need to be maintained every now and then, but once it is clean this is much easier. If you want to be wildlife friendly then removal of dead/old flora should be left as late as possible.
