Getting the best from summer typically means spending long periods of time outdoors. If you have access to a garden, then you might stand a much better chance of enjoying the season. But how do you get the garden ready for summer? There are a number of small jobs to perform.
Tidy Up and Maintain Your Garden
It’s worth starting with a declutter. The more junk you can clear from the space, the easier it will be to take care of – and the better it will look. This doesn’t just mean clearing away tools and materials – it also means dealing with weeds, pruning overgrown shrubs, and clearing out tree branches.
As part of the process, you might fertilise your lawn, and install a few choice decorations. Festoon garden lights, for example, might help create the required ambience around your patio.
Plan and Plant for Colour
Summer is a time of year when the blossoms around your garden will be at their most spectacular – provided that you’ve planned the space appropriately. Make sure that your summer-flowering plants are well bedded, and that you have given some thought to the colours that will be on display. Some knowledge of basic colour theory can be helpful – but in general, it’s best to start with two or three different kinds of flowers, and add new ones each year. Dahlias and nasturtiums are a good starting point.
Create Functional Outdoor Spaces
As well as looking the part, your garden space should serve a purpose. You might have an area for relaxing in, and others for specific activities, like cooking or exercise. If you’d like to produce food in your garden, you might set aside a space for growing vegetables or herbs. Raised planters can be fantastic for doing this.
Watering and Pest Control
During summer, your garden might experience a spell of dry weather. Getting it through this period will involve watering it. You might set up an automated system for doing this, or simply walk around every so often with a watering can.
Pests are another ongoing problem. You might use chemicals to keep them at bay, or discourage them naturally by attracting predators to your garden. Flowering plants, for example, might bring larger insects into the space, which will help to keep the aphid population under control. In the same way, birds might be used to deal with slugs, or even rodents.
