As schools break for summer and we prepare to make the most of the good weather, it’s time to check if your garden needs a bit of TLC. After a flaming June, with warmer weather predicted for the end of July and August, we could all use some practical summer gardening tips.
Read on to discover how to restore flagging plants and bushes, spruce up your garden furniture and create a welcoming space for guests. At the same time, you can also give nature a hand by creating an environment to attract birds, bees and butterflies.
How to prepare your garden for summer
Before you chill those beers and fire up the barbecue, follow our five top tips to ensure your garden looks its best.
Clean and clear
Step one on your journey towards a summer-ready garden is decluttering and cleaning your outdoor space. Gather up spare flower pots, empty compost bags, discarded children’s toys and anything else that distracts the eye and pack them away in the shed or outdoor storage box. Sweep up any dead leaves and branches and pull up unsightly weeds.
Next, get to work with some patio cleaner to clear any mould and stains from paved areas. If your fencing is looking tired, you could give it a new lease of life by painting it a different colour. The right shade can even make a small space seem bigger.
Lastly, give your garden furniture a thorough clean with hot, soapy water and don’t forget to freshen up those outdoor cushions you stored away last year.
Cut back and trim
If you’ve left trees and bushes to grow during the spring, they will probably need trimming back. Using clean secateurs, cut away excess growth until you’ve achieved a neat shape.
You can encourage flowering plants to keep on blooming by ‘dead-heading’ them. That means taking away any flowers that are past their best and snipping the stalk with two or three leaves behind the flower head.
If you grow roses, it’s fine to dead-head them during the summer months, but it is not advisable to cut them back too much. This can weaken the plant, making it more vulnerable to disease.
Introduce colour and interest with fresh planting
One guaranteed way to revive your outdoor space is to add some new planting. Bedding plants such as petunias, verbenas, nemesia and lobelia will add plenty of colour and bloom all summer. Geraniums are great for brightening up dull areas, bringing a sunny, Mediterranean feel to your garden.
If you don’t have much room for flower beds, you can create interest by adding hanging baskets or planting a flowering bush in a pretty ceramic pot.
A neatly trimmed, luxurious green lawn is one of the most inviting features of any garden. Apply lawn feed and water regularly (if necessary) to help your grass survive through the warmer months.
Set up your space
Whether you’re planning a big party or just enjoying a barbecue with a few friends, it’s important to set up your garden space in the right way. It helps to consider:
- Where you’ll set up your outdoor cooking area (keeping it safely away from children)
- Where people will sit (are there any shaded areas for guests?)
- The best location for an inflatable paddling pool or temporary sand-pit (a shady area will be better for kids when it’s hot and sunny)
If your backyard is completely exposed to the sun, you could invest in a shade sail. Alternatively, a patio set with a large parasol works well for smaller spaces.
Add the finishing touches
Your garden is a great spot for nature-watching, and with a little effort, you could begin to see more visits from birds, bees and butterflies. A bird-friendly water feature or a bird bath will encourage small birds to call in more often, while a bee or bug hotel can attract insects that are vital to your garden’s health. You can also encourage butterflies by planting fruit trees or making a butterfly feeder.
Over the past decade, we have come to think of our gardens differently. Nowadays, our outdoor areas are no longer used simply for hanging, washing, or kicking a ball around. They are valued as important spaces to relax, eat and entertain.
As that idea has taken shape, we’ve seen a growth in the popularity of outdoor accessories such as fire-pits, garden bars and even outdoor cinema screens. Fortunately, many properties in Ilford and Barkingside can boast substantial gardens, and that’s why they are proving popular not just with local buyers and renters but with city dwellers searching for more space.
If you are looking for a home with a great garden space, why not get in touch with us?
Give us a call at 0203 972 7341 or email info@oaklandestates.co.uk.
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