With plenty of time to make sure you have your space in the best condition for the warmer climes, we look at how best to spruce up your garden.
With the rise of entertaining at home is apparent in the UK there’s a need to keep your garden space clean and tidy at all times. Admittedly, we aren’t all gardening experts and we can often neglect our spaces during the colder months. In fact, the British public are wasting up to £672 million each year as we don’t know how to best look after our garden space.
Introduce utensils and furniture
If you have a bare garden, make the most of your space by introducing garden furniture. It doesn’t matter what size garden you have, somewhere to relax is essential. Mounting a mirror is a sure-fire way in which to make your space look larger. If you do choose this, though, make sure you position a mirror so it has something that it can reflect, such as a nice floral display.
For those with limited space, add a hammock, while for those with more ground to play with, a table and chair set can be used to help you create the perfect living area. You have to think about where you’d want to spend those sunny days relaxing, or indeed how you’d want to entertain any guests. Aim to position this furniture towards the bottom of your garden to give it the illusion that it’s bigger than it actually is.
With entertaining in mind, think about adding a BBQ to your back yard too. Charcoal, electric or gas BBQs can turn your personal space into a home entertainment haven. While the UK may have unpredictable weather forecasts at times, as soon as the sun shines, the public clamour for a good BBQ. Make your spot the place to go and show off your garden space.
Why not add a selection of flowers?
Unless you’re an avid gardener, chances are your plants and flowers won’t survive the winter months. That’ll mean you’ll be back to square one to bring some colour to your space. However, don’t leave it too late either. It’s important to plan ahead when it comes to perfecting your bloom. It’s never too early to start getting your garden in shape.
For example, hanging baskets can bring some colour to your garden all year round. To perfect your hanging basket displays in time for the summer months, you should ideally be planting them in April. However, be prepared to protect them from any potential frost well into May. Calibrachoa is a good choice to add to your basket, alongside blue petunias – a flower which is known for being weather resistant.
The same goes with any planted flowers. Be sure to check the optimum time of planting any seeds to make sure your display is up and running and ready for the wow-factor this summer.
Make sure your garden is tidy!
This may seem an obvious point to start, but it can sometimes seem like a tough task. If you’ve let your garden go, simply tidying up and removing weeds can make your space so much more appealing.
If you have decking boards, start by sweeping away any fallen leaves or debris. Then, use a high-pressure cleaner to wash away any remaining dirt. Once you’ve done that, you can scrub the deck where required to bring it back to life in time for the sunshine. The same applies for any concrete or tiled areas. Make sure you replace any broken or chipped tiles and give it a thorough clean. As this area is usually the most walked-on area, it’s important to keep on top of maintenance here.
If you have fencing or a shed, you may find it useful to give it a fresh coat of paint. The change in weather throughout the year may see them looking a tad tired and in need of brightening up.
Set aside those expensive plans to enhance your yard with water features or a cabbage patch for now, as it will still look messy if you don’t take care of the essentials first. Weeding may seem like an endless task but removing them will make your garden automatically look a whole lot cleaner and presentable.
You may also notice it’s a good time to remove any clutter from your shed. Sort out any items inside into ‘keep’ and ‘don’t keep’ piles and get rid of anything you don’t need. While people may not often see inside your shed, the build-up can get messy very quickly if you don’t keep on top of it.
Doing all the tasks listed above will make your area look so much more appealing this summer – perfect to unwind in, or even for hosting those late-night garden parties. Happy gardening!
