10 essential landscaping and garden maintenance jobs for you to do this spring.
Spring is a wonderful time of year, and although I’m actually writing this in February, the sun is bright, there are birds singing outside of my window and I can already feel the seasons changing.
Here Are My Top 10 Landscaping And Garden Maintenance Jobs For Spring
- Carry out a thorough inspection
- Assess your garden needs for the year ahead
- Treat timber
- Feed your lawn
- Refresh planting
- Clean and tidy the greenhouse
- Sow vegetable and flower seeds indoors
- Mulch beds and borders
- Visit open gardens to get inspirational ideas
- Plan new features (irrigation, ponds, pergolas, wildflower areas)
Spring Garden Inspection
This fine looking pergola with it’s swing seat will soon be used every day. One of our jobs for spring would be to check that the structure is sound and see if it needs any timber treatments.
Your first job in spring time will be to do a thorough inspection of the garden and make a list of the jobs that you can see need doing.
Patios: Are they dull and dirty? A good sweep on a dry day should sort that out. If your patio is uneven, cracked or crumbling, it’s probably time to replace it.
Sheds: Is the shed sound and can it be secured. Does it need a good tidy up? How about the timber? Is it due for staining or oiling?
Decking: Are balustrades strong and secure? Is the timber in good condition? How about the colour – if it’s faded in areas, your deck probably needs sanding and staining.
Fencing: Has it been damaged over the winter? Need any repairs? Or is it so far gone that it will need replacing this year?
Lawn: Lawns rarely look their best in February but if you can see lots of moss, bare patches or discoloured areas, it’s a good idea to find out how to fix them. Visit the Premier Lawns website for in depth lawn care knowledge and sign up for Robbie’s newsletter. He’s based in Northern Ireland so can’t come along in person to fix your lawn, but follow his tips and you’ll save a fortune in lawn care fees.
Trees: If you’re at all worried about the health of any trees in your garden, call an arborist. The earlier in the year you take action, the less likely you are to disturb nesting birds. If you have young trees, ensure that stakes are still strong and that straps are not too tight.
Planting: Wait until early march before clearing away last year’s dead vegetation. There may well be useful mini beasts overwintering in the stems. Check for gaps in your planting and if necessary, commission a planting plan from a garden designer so that you can be really proud of your summer garden.
Feeding Your Lawn
Feeding your lawn is one of the easiest and most important jobs for spring. If your lawn looks great, the rest of your garden will too. In an ideal world, you will be scarifying and aerating your lawn in spring. But if that sounds like too much work (or if you did it in autumn) a good feed will go a long way to thickening up the sward.
Choose a good quality spring/summer lawn feed and follow the manufacturers instructions to the letter as you apply it. Investing in a good quality fertiliser spreader will help to make sure you get a nice even coverage.
If your lawn is very worn out, one of your jobs for spring could be to re-turf the area
Mulch Beds And Borders
Mulch is the gardeners very best friend. It suppresses weeds, feeds the soil and all those wonderful worms that help us so much, and it helps plants to survive through a long dry summer without needing watering.
Choose a mulch that suits your garden style. Wood chips or mulch are a favourite of mine. They represent good value for money and only need topping up every other year or so. Peat free compost releases soil nutrients faster and looks attractive. It’s brilliant for mulching around vegetable plants.
For a more permanent mulch that will help control weeds and look awesome, consider one of the many aggregates on the market. Find something that with similar colour tones to your hard landscaping elements. Or why not try something truly eco-friendly like crushed cockle shells?
Seek New Ideas
A garden is like a good website – it’s never finished and will keep evolving over time. So how will you help your garden to evolve this year? Could you perhaps add an outdoor kitchen or a bar so that you can entertain outdoors in the summer? Is your patio too hot in the summer? Perhaps you need a pergola for shade?
A good way to focus your thoughts is to visit open gardens in your area. You’ll discover different ideas for layouts, planting combinations, structures and even garden art. Allen House Grounds in the centre of Guildford is a hidden gem with lots of inspirational features.
Plan New Garden Features With Your Landscaper
If your garden ideas involve any kind of construction, it’s well worth asking a reputable landscaper for help. Whether you are toying with the idea of a complete garden makeover or you just want to extend your patio, it’s important to get professional advice.
Geoff Gardiner of Manor Landscapes has been working in the landscape industry for many years. He’s one of the most experienced landscapers in the Guildford area and is well placed to advise you.
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