Mid-summer is upon us, but it's not too late to give your garden the summer comeback it deserves. Read on for 10 easy and essential tasks to spruce up your home garden and backyard right now.
1. Prune, deadhead & clear out all that debris
Before you set about doing any touch ups or cleaning, make sure to remove anything extraneous and long-dead, that’s been accumulating in your garden in the last season.
Clear our dead plants, spent crops and debris for the compost pile
Prune any overgrown vines, any branches that maybe overcrowding your space or views.
Deadhead any old flowering plants or perennials that have had their moment in spring.
Check your guttering, drains and any other outdoor drainage areas for an accumulation of dead vegetation and debris.
If you haven’t started a compost heap, now’s the time.
Summer is perfect timing to make compost given the warm temperatures and increased humidity. Your pile of vegetative compost will heat up and decompose rapidly giving you a good supply in 3 months.
2. Get down & get weeding
Now that you’ve got the dead bits out , don’t forget to attack those weeds . There’s more than one way to do some weeding. Be sure to let the bees have their fill of those wild weed flowers, if you can stand it.
There are natural eco-friendly weed killers on the market if you’re worried about tainting the ecosystem.
3. Fertilise & treat your plants with TLC
Now that you’ve got the place looking cleared and cleaned, give your plans some love.
Fertilise your tidied up plants especially if you have some hungry rose bushes
Treat your plants with protective bug and mould Don’t forget to apply some slug and snail protection to keep your plants protected.
Use a hoe or rake to work the ground around your plants to aerate the ground around your plants, and promote better drainage for watering and fertilising.
4. Love your lawn? lawn care starts now
If you’re a proud owner of a front lawn or a much loved, played-upon piece of green in the back garden, it’s not too late to mind that lawn.
Give it a good watering, weeding, remove excess stones and add some fertiliser too.
If mowing your lawn, be sure to let the clippings lie in situ.
Don’t forget to fill in any major holes that have occurred or areas that have been damaged by pets and playtime. Use fresh soil/compost and new lawn patching (seed) products to fill in worn out sections.
5. Power up the power washer
Nothing makes you feel as accomplished sometimes as that satisfying sensation of wiping away months of grime with a decent power washer. Let’s face it - it’s the most efficient way to get loads of cleaning done without all that scrubbing and soaping.
Now’s the time to give the garden patio, paving, decking, garden walls, fences, steps and furniture a once -over with the power washer. It’s perfect for those hard to reach places, high locations, tight corners and grooves.
Once done, you’re ready to splash on any touch-ups in the knowledge all those surfaces in question are free from dirt!
6. Simple touch-ups with surface add-ons
If you’ve got paving, pathway, a rockery corner or decorative borders - don’t forget to give them a news lease of life with fresh decorative gravel. Spruce up these locations with new pebble varieties and decorative stone colours for a new look.
Consider getting dress new wood chips or mulch to dress and protect your plant beds as well as discourage fresh weeds. It all makes for a tidier view in the end.
7. A fresh coat of paint goes a long way
It’s an obvious but oh-so-necessary part of this checklist.
A quick way to cover up the garden fencing, garden walls, wooden garden furniture and shed walls/doors that have been left weathered, mouldy and battered by winter and soggy, rainy spring days.
Pick a bright sunny day, add cans of brightly coploured paint and call a few friends around. Get the kids involved as well, make some lemonade and turn up the music! You’ve just got yourself a wholesome family paint-party. Get everyone helping out.
Be brave and try new colours and even stencilled patterns. A simple way to give your garden a makeover.
Checkout our range of paint and decorating accessories.
8. Make your decking great again!
It’s also not too late to get your deck looking tip - top again. Now that you’ve given it a satisfying power wash , you’re ready to do the following:
For good measure, coat your dried deck evenly with a decking cleaner using a stiff broom. Use a pushing action to really work the solution in and spread it evenly, before you wash off and let dry.
You must then re-seal the decking wood with a coating product such as a decking stain, oil or coating.
Lookout for an anti-slip solution for a better result.
9. Bring nature back to your garden
It may be too late for planting some seeds but it's not too late to source ready grown perennials or potted flowers and bedding to install into your summer garden for that facelift .
You may be just too busy or the cold spring may have made it difficult to cultivate fresh plants from seed. So just head to the local garden and DIY centre for a little blast of colour to save you the hassle.
You can also bring nature in with an insect hotel that you can make yourself or buy ready-made. Great for bringing more biodiversity and natural colour in the form of butterflies and ladybirds.
A simple bird-bath and bird-seed feeder will also be a great way to attract songbirds.
Nothing beats the pleasure of sitting back and watching your garden come to life in the truest sense.
10. Let there be light (In your garden)
Get the most of your summer evenings by sourcing light fixtures that keep you out there in the balmy nights for longer.
Be sure to fit out essential areas like steps, pathways, portals, gazebos and the main decking area or dining spaces with functional outdoor lighting.
There are many handy options including solar powered outdoor lighting that remove the need for electrical wiring.
Ready To Accessorise?
Now that your outdoor spaces are looking clean, clear, tidy and healthy, You’ll be thinking of taking it to the next level!
There are so many ways to turn your outdoor spaces into a welcoming outdoor extension of your family room and a veritable party venue.
Stay tuned for our next blog where we’ll be ticking off the easy ways to turn your garden or backyard into a party space!!
Ready To Get Started? Have These Items At Hand
Shopping list
Garden shears
Garden pruning scissors
Gardening gloves
Gardening hoe
Small axe, saw or chainsaw for removing larger branches
A rake for the larger weeds
A trowel or small spade for digging out weeds
Natural Path/ Drive / Decking Moss and Weedkiller.
Slug killing solution
Compost
Power washer or hose with a strong spray nozzle
Sprayer and watering can
Wood Mulch
Lawn mower
Paint and paint brushes and primer
Decking wood stain, seal or coating
Bird feeder
Bird bath
Solar powered outdoor lights
Stop by our Paint and Decorating, Lawn and Garden Sections to catch an overview of the supplies, products and brands coming to our stores.
Have You More Essential Tips To add? Share Them
Have you already got your garden ready for mid-summer? Got any great tips?
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