GARDENING 101 - SIMPLE THINGS TO DO NOW

I've got eight top tips for you to get started on this weekend!

Photo by Daniel Watson on Unsplash

1) MOW YOUR LAWN

It is finally dry enough to get the mower out to smarten up the appearance of your garden. What could be better than the neat stripes of a newly mowed lawn combined with the delicious smell of freshly cut grass?

2) SWEEP YOUR PATIO OR BALCONY

If your daily walk doesn’t quite expend all that pent up energy, then take a turn at sweeping! It’s a brilliant form of full-body exercise and deeply satisfying to brush away the dirt from the wet winter.

3) REMOVE WEEDS

Using a handheld fork, take to your flower beds and/or containers and dig out the weeds. Try to avoid using weed killer if you can, as you risk killing the plants you want to keep, but remember to dig deep, as weeds have a habit of growing long and unruly roots. (See the latest video for tips on identifying what to get rid of).

4) PREPARE THE SOIL IN YOUR FLOWER BEDS OR CONTAINERS

Dig over the soil with a garden fork to loosen up clumps of earth and remove any stones, sticks or rotting garden matter. You want the earth to be able to breath. Try to get your hands on some compost or manure to treat the ground.

5) FERTILIZE YOUR EXISTING PLANTS

Apply a liquid fertilizer to the soil surface around your plants to stimulate growth. Avoid contact with leaves as this can lead to scorching. Be measured in your application as you don’t want to cause long term root damage.

6) DON’T FORGET TO WATER

Get your hosepipe or your watering can out and give your flower beds, containers and houseplants a good top up of water. Plants use most of their energy in the spring, so make sure you keep them hydrated!

7) BE PATIENT WITH THE DAFFODILS

By now your daffodils might be looking past their best, but whatever you do, don’t mow over the roots to tidy them up. If you want them to come back next year, you need to let them die down in their own time. If you find them too unsightly, then you can do some dead-heading and tie up the stems in a neat knot.

8) GET ONLINE AND GET BUYING!

Jack and I have spent countless evenings pouring over websites like this for spring bulbs and terracotta containers. Whilst it’s easy to go mad, try to think about what you already have in your garden and decide whether you want to follow a certain scheme or just embrace a carnival of colour. The main thing is to be consistent.

Photo by Andrea Tummons on Unsplash