Maintaining your garden in top condition, regardless of the season, is a straightforward process. With regular upkeep, you can easily transform your outdoor space into a welcoming area for your guests, no matter the weather.
Even in the current winter season, when outdoor activities are reduced, these practical tips are applicable throughout the year. They ensure your garden remains a pleasant space, empowering you to manage it effectively rather than it becoming a daunting task to be tackled come spring.
Have The Right Tools
An important aspect of keeping on top of your garden is having the right tools to make your life easier. You can use many garden tools to keep up your garden, and what you need will depend on the type of garden you have. For example, if you purchase a cordless pole chainsaw could be worth the investment, as can chainsaw pruners, because these tools will help you stay on top of trimming and pruning hedges throughout the year. For lawn care, a robotic lawn mower might be preferable to help you cut down on time spent mowing the lawn, and power washers, brushes, and leaf blowers can be instrumental in supporting a tidy garden, especially after bad weather.
The right tools are your best line of defence when it comes to a tidy and organised garden all year round. They can save you time and effort and can be worth their weight in gold for those who are garden-proud and don’t want to let standards slip. Investing in the right tools can make your gardening tasks easier and more efficient, allowing you to enjoy your garden more.
Little and Often
If the task at hand seems too big and complex to tackle at once, break it down and do little bits at once. One day, you might find that a wedding or deadheading plants is all you can manage; deadheading is the process of removing dead or faded flowers from a plant to encourage more blooms and is best performed frequently through the flowering season. This practice not only keeps your garden looking neat and tidy but also promotes the growth of new flowers, enhancing the beauty of your garden.
Take the more significant tasks and break them down so you’re doing something frequently and not having to spend hours doing back-breaking work when you really don’t want to.
Weed Frequently
Weeds can appear at any time of the year, and even the most conscientious gardener can quickly overcome them.
There are multiple approaches you can take to weed control. Ideally, to kill off the weed for good, you need to kill or remove the root. This can be done by pulling the entire weed from the ground, ensuring that it does not break and leaving the root in the soil. You can also use natural weed-killing remedies such as vinegar, boiling water, or salt. Vinegar is a natural acid that can kill weeds, while boiling water can scald and kill weeds. Salt, when used in moderation, can dehydrate and kill weeds. Additionally, you can use weed removal tools to help you increase your chances of eliminating weeds. Or if you prefer there are chemical based weed control solutions designed to kill weeds at the root that might work better for you.
Whatever options you choose, make sure you’re staying on top of this to avoid becoming overwhelmed, especially during the colder months when you don’t use it so frequently.
Mow Correctly
This is important as you need to know the best time of year to mow your lawn. Generally, in the UK, it is recommended that you mow your lawn fortnightly between March and October, with the first mowing around mid-March and the last around the end of October or early November for best results.
Throughout the year, you need to move from every two weeks in the spring to weekly through the summer and then from weekly to two weekly again as autumn comes around.
However, if you want to support pollinators by leaving your lawn to grow in spring, it is recommended that you do the minimum in terms of mowing and lawn control to maintain the appearance and prevent it from growing out of control.
Plus, regular mowing eliminates unwanted weeds and encourages denser turf and a more luscious-looking lawn.
Protect Plants
As the temperatures start to drop, you need to identify which plants are not as hardy and protect them from frost to help prevent them from dying prematurely because they can’t cope with the weather. This might not be an issue for some, but for those wanting to cultivate a vibrant garden, understanding what plants need protection and when can help you avoid being disappointed when they die off and won’t return when you expect them to.
This means moving potted plants indoors to keep them sheltered. Also included are your summer vegetables, tender perennials like fuchsias and dahlias and summer annuals like marigolds.
To protect them during colder snaps, you can cover them in garden fleece, use crop covers, or add an extra layer of mulch.
Pest Control
Being aware of pests you might face around the clock and throughout the year can help you ensure your garden is always protected. From the common aphids such as the greenfly and blackfly to the whitefly slugs, snails, caterpillars, and the cabbage moth, there are many ways your garden can come under attack throughout the year. Protection from pests isn’t just a summertime task, as pests can be present all year round, destroying your hard work and making a mess in your garden.
However, when discussing pest control, it’s important to understand that some pests are beneficial for your garden and should be welcomed. For example, hoverflies, ladybirds, butterflies, and moths are all insects your garden needs and should be treated year-round.
Garden maintenance can ensure your garden is in top shape all year round, whether you have a low-maintenance, hard, landscaped space or one that is full of natural life and vibrancy.
