As it’s now May, we’re assuming that spring might make an appearance soon after what seems like a year-long winter (minus summer that took up a couple of days a few weeks back). We’ve put together our 5 favourite spring gardening tips to help you get your outside space ready to use in some milder weather.
1. Clear your borders
Over the winter months your flower beds and borders are likely to get filled up with weeds – now is the time to get on your hands and knees and start clearing them. You may even want to dig in some new topsoil once you’ve finished for that picture-perfect garden look.
2. Add a water butt
It’s certainly been a little damp outside lately and with the rain looking to continue for at least another couple of weeks you might as well make use of the water. Add a water butt and start collecting the rainwater ready for the warmer weather to help keep your plants alive. Water butts certainly aren’t the best-looking things so try and find somewhere discreet to hide it!
3. Treat your fences
Wait for a dry day and spend some time outside treating your fences and wooden structures. The winter has certainly been a tough one so it is worth replacing any rotting panels with new ones to keep your boundary intact. Don’t forget to also treat any trellises and arches that you may have – do this before your climbing plants start to grow so you don’t have to work around them. It’s also worth taking a look at any decked areas you may have, it’s worth treating them before the warmer weather is here to make sure that it is usable when you need it – sanding it down and treating it will give you a like-new finish.
4. Get the mower out
It’s time. Dust down the mower and get the blades sharpened to ensure it’s ready for the first cut of the year. It’s really important that the blades are properly sharpened to ensure a clean cut when mowing – also, when you get around to cutting the grass you should make the first cut longer than you actually want, that way you won’t damage or bruise the grass by cutting too low. Don’t forget to strim the edges to ensure your newly-preened borders can be seen!
5. Clean down the BBQ
Spring means one thing…barbie season is almost upon us. If you have a brick-built barbecue then it’s probably had a bit of a beating this winter so give it a good clean and a bit of TLC to ensure it is in pristine working condition, primed and ready for the sun’s first proper appearance. If you’ve kept your grill in storage then it’s time to take it out, get rid of the spiders (no one wants one on their burger!) and ensure you’re stocked up on coals or gas ready for the season to begin. Tidy up the barbecue area, think about giving any patios or paving slabs a clean and don’t forget to check your garden furniture over to ensure it’s going to last through the summer!
Sources: Blossom Photo by Uriel Soberanes | House Photo by Annie Spratt
