As the warmer months approach it is time to get into the garden. A few early preparations now will benefit in the long run. Over winter, lawns can be a bit neglected so spring is the perfect time to get them looking great again. It is recommended to rake through your lawn to get rid of any dead growth or debris. This will allow you to see any bare patches that can be fixed. To fill in these spots rake well, sprinkle with grass seeds that have already been mixed up with soil in a bucket, and water well until seed germinates.
Pruning is an important part of looking after your plants so get those secateurs out and start cutting. Prune away any dead or damaged branches to allow for new growth to come through. It is important to prune roses and fruit trees before they start to bud to ensure you still have your spring flowers and crops.
Planting in spring is a great chance to have a vegetable patch to have pickings for the warmer months. Seeds that are ideal to plant this time of the year are: peas, spinach, lettuce, leeks, tomatoes, carrots, zucchinis and beetroot. A herb patch would also be a great addition to your garden to provide you with those fresh ingredients to toss through any meal. Seeds to plant in your herb patch for this time of the year would be basil, coriander, dill, mint and parsley as they all thrive as we approach summer. Fruits to plant now would be
strawberries and raspberries to allow you to have a good crop in time for Christmas.
Flowers to consider planting for those summer colours would be Alyssums, Begonias, Californian Poppy, Celosias, Gerberas and Perennials. With frosts still looming be sure to cover any new plants with a bucket or box to help protect them.
Weeding is always a tedious task but it is important to get on top of so that they don’t take over your garden. With all of the rain we have had over the winter months weeds should be relatively easy to pull out now. Once weeding is done lay down mulch as this will help with water conservation, reducing weeds, maintaining soil temperature and adds organic matter to the soil.
Mulch should be laid at approximately 3-4 inches and plastic sheeting can be added to the beds to help minimise the emergence of weeds. When adding mulch around fruit trees be sure to keep the mulch a few inches from the trunk to prevent rotting.
Gardening not only reconnects you with the earth but has loads of health benefits too, so be sure to get out into the garden this spring.
By Taneil Thornberry