As the days lengthen and the weather grows warmer, we feel energised and inspired to make a new start in our lives. The garden is wakening from its winter sleep and is an excellent place to begin sprucing up for Spring. It’s exhilarating being out of doors in spring; the whole family will enjoy working together in the fresh air and you can involve the kids by teaching them how to sow seeds and grow their own plants.
Patio and Decking
Sweep your patio to remove dead leaves and debris from the winter storms. Use a moss removal treatment if necessary. Decking often gets stained and slippery during the winter; in spring it should be cleaned and then protected with a coat of decking preservative or wood stain. For a quick way to refresh your patio, add a splash of colour with outdoor rugs or carpeting. As well as defining and highlighting different areas, outdoor rugs provide a comfortable place for kids to play or just to sit and read.
Fences and Sheds
Choosing a simple colour scheme for your boundary fences and sheds pulls the whole area together and is an affordable way to achieve a designer look for your outdoor space. Revitalise garden structures with soft, vintage shades or bright colours for a Mediterranean look; old garden furniture will gain a new lease of life after a lick of paint in a coordinating colour. Try painting a collection of old oil drums, buckets and baskets in complementary hues to act as unusual containers for your plantings.
Garden Furniture
Furniture that has been left outside over the winter will need cleaning and perhaps painting. Wrought iron can be refreshed with a coat of rust-resistant paint while wooden furniture should be sanded down if necessary and then treated with oil suitable for teak or other hardwood. Rattan is an environmentally-friendly and highly resilient material for furniture that can be left outside all year round; the latest designs are as comfortable and stylish as the furniture you have inside your home. Bamboo furniture is another sustainable option; it is very light and can be moved quickly and easily from conservatories to outside seating areas.
Grow Your Own
Even children who may not be very keen on eating vegetables will enjoy trying varieties they have grown and harvested themselves, so encourage the kids to help. If you do not have room for a vegetable plot, grow courgettes, carrots and tomatoes in containers set in a sunny spot. First-time gardeners should try Gardener’s Delight tomatoes as they are easy to grow and yield a harvest of delicious, small fruits. Blueberries do well in pots and strawberries may be cultivated in hanging baskets. A raised bed near the house is the perfect place for growing lettuces, radishes and herbs. Sow small amounts regularly to ensure you have a supply of fresh salad all summer long.
This is a feature post.
