The scheming and dreaming time for the perfect country garden is slowly slipping away as Spring is on the doorstep and it’s almost time for action. But if you’ve fallen behind and your vision for an award winning Chelsea Flower Show display is waning, let us enlighten you with our top tips for preparing the perfect green canvas…
Clear away and compost the dead stalks of perennials that provided seeds and cover to birds and other wildlife over the winter – they may harbour diseases and bugs, which you most certainly don’t want!
Prune shrubs and small trees to maintain good form and vigour. If you are already seeing that trees and shrubs in your area have buds swelling, you want to get the pruning done before they leaf out. At the same time you may also want to consider moving or removing plants that didn’t do well last year.
Rake lawns to remove winter debris. This also helps aerate the soil to ensure air gets in to the root zone.
Take the time now to plan new beds or revitalise existing ones to get ready for planting in a few weeks’ time. For new or expanded beds, dig areas early and add organic matter (well-rotted compost is great) to improve the soil. Also, consider what’s missing – when trees are bare and plants are dormant it provides a clear perspective on the foundations of the garden. Do you have unsightly tanks that need to be hidden, is there room for trellises and tuteurs? Now is the time to think about it!
Learn about what plants are native to your area and find out how you can restore a couple of species to your garden.
Get your potting area ready. Claim a corner in the garage, workshop, or patio as your own and find all the tools you’ll need for the season ahead. Let us help you make it your own with a few of our garden accessories.
Fix any niggles or add to your hardscape. Whether you’ve cracks on a path that need filling in or you’d like to add some new stone edging, there’s no better time to sort it out.
Plant Shrubs and Trees. But before you begin sowing seeds and placing small trees and shrubs – weed! It’s easier to weed in moist soil and you want to do it before everything goes to seed. When choosing to plant shrubs and trees, think about the focal points of your garden and build out from there, also consider giving your garden good bones by strategically placing them to anchor beds.
Sow your seeds; those in the know direct-sow in Spring. The secret to sowing seeds directly into the ground is raised beds, because you’ll be sowing into light and fluffy potting soil – without air in your soil you’ll have problems!
There’s no better time to don the wellington boots, get a little spring in your step, get grubby and wake up your garden to a new season – have fun!
