Garden Preperations for Summer

The weather is changing, the sun is shining and the frosty mornings are a thing of the past. That means one thing – gardening season is well and truly upon us. Now is the best time to go out, get your wellies on and prepare your garden for the summer ahead.

If you’re just getting into gardening and want to know what needs to be done then here’s a brief check list to get you started:

Pune your shrubs

Shrubs can have deadheads and become unruly during the winter months, give these untidy features a prune to make them more appealing in your garden. If they’ve been left throughout winter then this can be a relatively large task – especially if you have a lot of shrubbery – but it’s best to do it now rather than wait until they grow like wildfire during the summer months.

Weed your flower beds

Weeds can be a real problem for many gardeners, but they are at their tamest during the winter due to the lack of sunshine. Tackle these early on, making sure you kill them at the roots so that they don’t come back later in the year. You’ll probably still have weeds in the summer – in fact, you almost certainly will – but taking care of them early on will reduce the number of invasive weeds you have during this point.

Clean birdbaths

Dead leaves, moss and other bits can make their way into your birdbath during the winter months. This can stop birds from visiting your garden to clean so make sure that you clear out any birdbaths or water features you have before the summer months roll around.

Apply new mulch to garden beds

Mulch can help to ensure that your garden soil is soft and moist throughout the summer, insulating it against the sun and heat. Remove as much old dry mulch as possible before laying down new, this will maximise the impact of new mulch allowing your soil to be ideal for growing plants. If you don’t want to use mulch then why not look at different types of compost?

Trim and shape trees

Similarly to bushes and shrubbery, trees can become a bit wild during the winter months. Now is the best time to sculpt your trees into the shape you want them to be. Cut off low hanging branches, remove any twigs or shoots that are coming off in areas you don’t want them to be.

Start planting potted plants

If you’ve been growing plants indoors to keep them away from the cold, extreme damp and frosts then now is the time to plant them outside. Make sure you use plenty of organic fertilizer to ensure that they adjust to the changes in the best possible way, easily taking root and growing naturally.

Sow the lawn

Have you got any brown or bald patches on your lawn? Now is the best possible time to sow grass seeds, allowing them to take root and grow in these areas, removing any patchy areas. Make sure that you scatter plenty of seed to ensure an even spread even if the birds try to nab as many seeds as they can.

Hunt garden pests

Going after garden pests like slugs, snails, weevil and aphids now can save you a lot of trouble in the summer. There are plenty of pesticides available that can target these pests without damaging your plants or making the soil unfit for growing.

Fix the shed

High winds and excess rain can damage the integrity of your trusty garden shed, if this has happened then it is a good idea to make the necessary repairs before the situation gets worse. Installing guttering is a great way to reduce the chance of water damage occurring at the base of the shed and can even be directed into a water butt giving you a free supply of water that can be used for watering the garden.