Preparing your garden for summer
The best time of year to enjoy your beautiful garden is the summer. Sure, with the right garden design, there are ways to make your landscape a relaxing haven all year round; however, nothing quite beats relaxing in your garden under the sun. For this reason, your garden must be perfect and ready for you when you need it. Preparing your garden for summer might take a little work, but it will all be worth it in the end.
Our landscapers in Barnsley have compiled a list of everything you need to consider to prepare your garden for the summer season. Some jobs may be small and effortless, whilst others may require a little hard work. Our landscape gardeners want to ensure you remember everything when preparing your garden for summer.
Declutter and reorganise
Before you start preparing your garden for summer, you need to get organised. Many of the tasks in this article may require some tools. Do you know where all your equipment is? Is it easily accessible? The last thing you want to do before starting a gardening task is to search for something in your shed that should be readily available. Of course, you may have placed many items you may not have needed in the winter season at the back of your storage - it is now time to reorganise your stuff as your gardening priorities change.
Although most garden storage is usually contained in a shed, think about what you have in your house or garage that may be useful for preparing your garden for summer. Ensure you declutter your space and eliminate any items you no longer need.
Ensure all your equipment is working
While decluttering and reorganising your things, ensure that the essential equipment is still operating correctly. Take the time to get out your lawnmower and strimmer, for example, plug them in and make sure they are okay. The last thing you want is for your grass to grow long suddenly and for you to be unable to maintain your lawn. It is also worth checking your hosepipe if you use it sparingly. Sometimes icy weather can cause some damage, so it's worth checking that yours is still good to use.
Clean and tidy all surfaces
Once you have everything organised to start preparing your garden for summer, you should start by deep cleaning all the surfaces in your garden. Depending on your materials, for example, porcelain paving, Indian Sandstone, or composite decking, there will be different ways of cleaning them. Most paving types require an annual or bi-annual jetwash to clear away any stains or growing moss. Check with the supplier on the best way to maintain the material. You want to ensure that your garden looks fresh from the start of the season to be ready for any social event.
Also, your paving/decking is one of many parts of your garden you should consider cleaning. Any furniture or fireplaces should also be cleaned and prepped, ready for the summer. Again, cleaning instructions will differ, so check with the supplier on the best way to do this. How does your barbeque look? Do you like to host social gatherings outside? Impromptu events always happen, so save yourself any future stress by getting things prepped beforehand.
Could your timber use a fresh lick of paint?
Winter can be harsh on your garden, especially if the materials/surfaces in your space needed to be fully prepped and prepared for winter, and they weren't. Is the paint on your shed looking like it's seen better days? Your timber decking could use a fresh lick of paint. If this is the case, you must set aside time to repaint those surfaces. The sooner you do this, the better; you don't want the sun to highlight all the ugly patches.
Prepare for the change in weather
The important thing to consider when preparing your garden for summer is how the weather changes. Of course, the weather will become a lot dryer and hotter. What soft landscaping do you have in your garden? And how will your plants be affected by the change in climate?
As there is less rainfall in the summer, you need to consider whether your plants will get enough water to thrive. A simple solution is to water your plants more often; however, there are a few tips to keep moisture around your plants for longer. Add some mulch to your garden in the early springtime. Whilst the weather is still wet, including mulch in your garden can help your soil to maintain even moisture.
Another change in the climate is that the weather becomes hotter. Plants thrive off sunlight, and so do weeds. You will find that lots more weeds will come sprouting up in the summer months. So, to prepare for summer, de-weed your garden, so you're on top of the game.
Pruning
Aim to neaten up your borders and cut back your trees. Doing this annually will result in a better-maintained garden, and nothing will grow past your control. Over the summer, your hedges and plants will grow much quicker, so pruning them beforehand is a good idea. Once you have pruned your plants, you will be able to see whether there are any gaps in your soft landscaping. From there, you can decide whether you wish to fill those gaps with more plants for the following year.
Add some colour to your landscape
Now for the fun part. Preparing your garden for summer can be hard work, but it can also be when you decide to brighten your garden with lots of summer colours. Some of your plants may not have survived the winter, so now you have the joy of running to your local garden centre and picking out some new ones. Adding hanging baskets full of flowers creates a beautiful addition to your garden, ready for summer. Another way to bring colour into your garden is to use paint. Fancy changing the colour of your shed or outdoor furniture?
Our landscapers in Barnsley hope you've enjoyed reading about how to prepare your garden for summer. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
Did you fancy adding something new to your garden this summer? New outdoor lighting? New furniture? There are many reasons why landscaping your garden is a good idea. Check out our portfolio for some inspiration!
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