Believe it or not, Spring and Summer are on the way! Longer and brighter days are ahead and now is the time to get your outdoor and garden spaces ready for the coming season. Keen gardeners will already have made plans but for the rest of us here are a few hints and tips.

Tidy up!

Your garden will have taken a battering over winter so get the gloves on and clear up the debris and fallen leaves and give the garden a good spring clean. Clean up flower beds and borders and add some compost/manure/fertiliser to put new hearts into your soil and get your plants off to the best possible start.

Creating a fresh start

Out with the old

Plants that have not survived the winter should be removed. Shrubs and plants that have made it will need to be tidied up. Herbaceous plants can generally be cut right back. Shrubs are best pruned after flowering – those that bloom in summer or autumn can usually be pruned in early spring.

In with the new

When you have tidied up you will be able to see where any gaps are. Look upon these as planting opportunities and invest in some exciting new plants!

Clean the greenhouse

If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse now is the time to give it a good clean to prevent the buildup of pests and diseases. This is also the perfect opportunity to organise all of your gardening tools and pots ready for the spring and summer.

Check out fixtures and fittings

Repair any damaged decking, fencing, gates and trellis. Do paths and patios need a pressure wash? Getting these little jobs done early will help massively with preparing your garden for the summer.

Do your garden tools pass muster?

If not give them a clean-up. Don’t forget the lawn mower – get it serviced and the blades sharpened so you are ready to go.

Sow seeds

Many flower and vegetable seeds can be sown from March onwards. Some with a longer growing season such as tomatoes and peppers can be sown even earlier in a propagator.

Create a compost area

Turn your unwanted ‘green waste’ such as leaves, lawn clippings, vegetable peelings and weeds into nutrient-rich superfoods for your soil and plants.

Don’t forget about your front garden

If you are lucky enough to have a front garden make sure you give it some love too. Front gardens are often neglected but it is the main garden that everyone sees when they walk past or enter your home. Even adding some potted plants by your

Quick fix

Transform the area around your front door, by planting up a few pots or hanging baskets for an instant display – including a mix of summer flowering bulbs, foliage plants and flowers. 

With daylight beginning to extend into the evenings once more, now is an excellent time to re-evaluate your outdoor lighting. As a minimum, we would recommend giving your existing fittings a good clean. Before doing this please ensure the power is turned off. Wash carefully with clean water to remove any dirt and salt deposits – do this even if they look clean. If they are particularly dirty, add a little diluted washing-up liquid but be sure to wash thoroughly with clean water afterwards.

Many gardeners do not appreciate what a difference good lighting can make to their gardens and outdoor spaces. Most of us are probably aware that having lights on outside after dark will increase security but when it comes to creative garden lighting many of us are in the dark, so to speak. By bringing our gardens back to life as the sun goes down, we can extend the time we spend outdoors.

Lighting can turn our gardens into an additional social space to be enjoyed on long summer evenings. Illuminating special features such as garden ponds or large trees will bring a wonderful atmospheric dimension to gardens after dark; one that can also be enjoyed from indoors on colder evenings. 

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