Get your garden sorted for spring | Quick tips!

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Spring is in the air. And after a long Covid-filled winter, we are so ready for it!

If you have a garden, now is the time to get out there and do a bit of preparation work to make sure that it looks its best over the coming weeks and months. Most gardens get completely neglected over winter, but with a bit of effort over the next couple of weeks you can make a huge difference in no time at all.

Here are five things you need to do to get your garden sorted for spring:

 

Spring clean

Our recent article Spring clean your home on a budget has some great ideas for how to get your home looking fabulous this spring. But if you thought that spring cleaning was just for the inside your home, think again! The first step to getting your garden sorted for spring is to give it a massive clean up. 

Here’s our quick checklist of what to do:

  • Cut back overgrown trees, plants and shrubs
  • Remove dead plants and dead growth on plants
  • Clear out hanging baskets
  • Rake up old leaves and debris
  • Sweep and wash patios and decking
  • Clean all structures, fencing and furniture and check for damage
  • Clean garden tools

 

If at all possible try to get rid of your garden rubbish straight away. Whether you have a garden bin collection or need to book a slot at your local tip, the sooner the rubbish has all gone, the better your garden will start to look.

 

Prepare the soil

Weeds love winter! Now is the time to fight back and remove as many weeds as you can, either by hand or by using weedkiller. Wherever possible, dig out the entire root to prevent the weeds from re-emerging.

Then if the soil is dry enough, start breaking it up, raking it and aerating it. Use compost to add essential nutrients to the soil. This will make it healthier and also easier to plant in later.

 

Prune and plant

For beautiful splashes of colour in your garden why not make a plan of what plants you would like to have? You could use a garden design app or just draw your plan on paper. 

  • Existing plants

Start by noting what you already have and where, then make sure those existing plants are in the best possible condition. This may mean pruning or re-potting some of your plants, or even moving them to a more protected area of the garden. You may also want to divide up any perennial plants that are either growing too big or have been flowering less than usual.

  • New plants

If you decide to add new plants, make sure that you plant them in the right kind of soil and light that they need. You may be able to get some plants partially grown and ready to put straight into the garden. Others can be planted outdoors straight from seed by making a furrow in the soil, adding water then scattering the seeds thinly before covering with soil. 

 

For best results, some new plants may need to be started off either in pots or indoors, for example in a greenhouse or on a windowsill, 

Spring is a good time to plant new perennials such as delphiniums, foxgloves, lupins and peonies and also some of the summer-flowering bulbs such as lilies and dahlias. Add a little light mulch – for example compost, manure or bark chips – to help seal in moisture around new plants and boost growth.

 

Tend to your lawn

Even if your lawn is too wet for its first cut of the year, you can still rake it. This will remove all debris and dead grass, enabling your lawn to breathe.

Once the frosts have passed, feed your lawn with a general purpose fertiliser to boost growth and reduce weeds. Also take the opportunity to level off any uneven areas then scatter new grass seed, particularly to sparse areas. 

 

Furnish with love

If your garden furniture is looking past its best, don’t automatically assume that you need to get rid of it. 

If you have wooden furniture, you could buy coloured paint and give it a complete transformation. Plastic or wicker furniture can be given a new lease of life with a good clean and some new cushions. 

You could also add to your garden furniture collection either by buying one or two new items or upcycling items that are either already yours or from websites such as Freecycle. You could add a distinctive and creative flair to your garden on a shoestring budget by adding things like decorative hooks for hanging plants, fire pits or chimeneas, pretty pots, table centrepieces or benches made from pallets.

 

We hope that the above tips help you to start getting your garden ready for spring so that you can then enjoy the great British summer. 

If you are now feeling inspired to do something a bit more ambitious with your garden, and need some additional funding to help you, then take a look at Simple Fast Loans short term personal loan to see if that may be a way forward for you.

Remember to check back here soon for more financial and lifestyle tips from Simple Fast Loans.

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