Homemaking & Horticulture

Summer is right around the corner, and the weather is significantly improving. It’s not all too surprising that many of us are seeing the sun’s rays finally cracking through the clouds and starting to consider spending more of our time out back in the garden. But chances are that this space has been neglected for a fair few months now. Who can blame us? Nobody wants to spend hours on their hands and knees pulling up weeds in the pouring rain. Even fewer are likely to spend their days off mowing the lawn in freezing temperatures. But this does mean that your garden is likely to need a little TLC now to make up for lost time. So where to start? Here are a few things to check off your list when it comes to getting your garden back into shape!

Let’s start with the basics that will make your garden appear presentable. First, you will need to mow the lawn. You can trim hard to reach areas like your garden’s corners and areas close to the fence with a strimmer. Then you should scrub down any decking with a hard bristled broom and warm soapy water - this will get rid of any moss or dirt that might have built up over time. Next, get a pair of gardening gloves on and pull up any weeds. You’re likely to find these between paving slabs. Remember to use a steamer to clean the area after any weeds have been pulled and to use a weed killer in the spot to prevent any regrowth. If you have children and pets, make sure to follow the instructions carefully for proper use, to ensure that your children or pets don’t come into contact with the chemicals, and to store any leftover liquid safely and out of the way.

If you have trees or bushes in your garden, they’re probably a little overgrown and messy at this point. Now, you can tackle these yourself, but it’s extremely difficult to achieve a completely neat finish without years of practice and experience. So you should consider calling in an arboriculture professional who will be able to conduct tree surveys, pruning, thinning, crown lifting, section felling, and crown reductions to a high finish.

Flowers are a beautiful addition to any garden and there’s no time better than summer to add a splash of colour and some beautiful floral scents to proceedings. Flowers also encourage wildlife to frequent your garden, making it a nature-friendly space that both you and local wildlife can bask in. Regardless of how much room you have, there will be an option suitable for you. For small homes, try out window boxes or hanging baskets. If you have more space, you can dig flower beds.

The steps above take a little work but the results will be more than worth your time and effort. Your garden will be the perfect space to spend a warm summer’s day in next to no time!