As the sun comes out and the insects emerge – the garden calls to us.
The backyard often gets neglected through winter, set aside as a part of the house that can’t be utilised as much in the cold weather.
But as Spring begins and we begin the sacred tradition of afternoon drinks on the deck, it’s time to breathe life back into your outdoor space.
So here’s seven backyard makeover tips to kick start your Spring!
One: Take an antihistamine
Just kidding!
But seriously – it might be worth your while…
Two: Remove the junk
Dead plants, stems, and leaves aren’t a good look.
But that’s not the only problem we have with them! They harbor disease and fungus spores that can end up causing major problems later on in the season. They also hide the sneaky weeds that can quickly take over the garden, if left unattended.
So the first step in your garden makeover is generally to get rid of the junk and start the planting process weed free.
Tidy up the overgrowth using a long-reach pole pruner – perfect for pruning, trimming and cutting those hard to reach branches.
You can also undercut those unsightly tree stumps and roots that are below ground level with a stump grinder.
Three: Bring life into your lawn
In our humble opinion, the lawn sets off the entire outdoor space.
You can plant all the wonderful shrubs and bulbs in the world – but if your lawn is lacking, the whole vibe will be off.
So give your lawn some love. Spring is a great time to put some top dressing down. It will help fill in low spots caused by rain – and correct uneven areas. It also helps to increase nutrient retention and improve drainage.
But before you top dress – you need to aerate! You can do this using a lawn corer, which will go a long way towards improving your lawn’s performance over the Summer months.
Coring relieves compaction, as the small holes allow water, oxygen and nutrients to instantly flood into the root zone.
Four: Careful Plant Selection
Plant selection is a tricky business – as there’s a lot of factors to consider.
Obviously colour is a major consideration, but you also need to factor in size.
Plants placed at the edge along a walkway or lawn will be in the front row – so they should be low-growing, to help draw attention to the taller plants behind.
And don’t forget the pollinators! We need to look after our bees now more than ever. You can start attracting pollinators to your garden by planting flowers, trees and shrubs that are nectar-rich.
And of course, durability and ability to thrive in your climate is a big one. Do your research on the types of plants that do well in the conditions of the area you live in.
Don’t forget to turn the soil in the bigger garden beds with a rotary hoe, to aerate it and kill weeds.
And a post hole digger is a great tool for effectively planting shrubs and trees – with the added bonus of coming in handy for building retaining walls!
Five: Build a veggie patch
Veggie patches not only provide a bit of fun for the whole family – they are a practical addition to the garden of anyone who enjoys cooking.
You want to put it in a position that sees plenty of sunlight – but is protected from strong winds. A raised garden bed will provide extra soil depth and good drainage. You can build these using bricks, straw bales or timber sleepers.
Ideally, you will have separate garden plots for each veggie – or one plot divided into areas.
Six: Fairy lights
Before you laugh – fairy lights bring a real ambiance to any space. There’s just no denying it!
You can go elegant, with twinkle star lights, festive with festoon lights – or full party mode with colourful string lights.
Seven: Clean up
Tidying up with a pressure cleaner will leave your outdoor space sparkling and ready for entertaining! Spray away all that leftover dirt from your driveway and pathways for a clean finish.
Also, coming out of winter mould has often built up, so using the pressure cleaner to rejuvenate tiles and other hard surfaces is a great idea.
And don’t forget to use a caged trailer to remove everything and keep your load covered!
