Spring is finally here, meaning now is the perfect time to plan how you want your garden or balcony to look ready for the summer. From planting to pruning, we’ve put together a handy checklist to help you get started.
1. Do a spring clean
Start by clearing your outside space by removing fallen leaves and other debris that has collected over the winter. This gives you space for planting and stopping leaf litter from impacting your lawn growth.
2. Prep your lawn
Once you’ve removed any dead leaves and clutter, you can get your lawn ready for summer by removing any moss that has grown over the winter and flattening any grass patches that have lifted with frost using a roller. If you have any bare patches of lawn, the months of March to May are also the perfect time to scatter (and water) grass seed for new growth.
3. Prune and weed
Spring is a great time to get rid of any weeds that have appeared in the garden before they have a chance to become established and start taking light, water, and nutrients away from your plants. In early Spring, you will also be able to prune any deciduous trees and shrubs without impacting their growth in the summer months.
4. Get planting and propagating
Many plants are best planted once the last winter frost is over, and the weather starts to warm up a bit. Many perennials and flowers can be planted in March and April and if you are thinking of starting a veg patch, there are also many types of potatoes, onions, carrots, beans and some leafy greens that should be planted at this time of year too. Make sure that you check the seed packets for advice on when and how to plant your seeds.
5. Give biodiversity a boost
As you plan the layout of your garden for the year, consider how you can support the biodiversity in your area by checking out our blog post from last year for tips and tricks on how to give nature a boost in your garden or on your balcony.
6. Think about starting a compost heap
Whilst you’re out in the garden, you could also think about starting a compost heap to help you transform your food scraps into nutrient rich compost for your garden. Composting can reduce the carbon footprint of your waste disposal, avoiding the waste producing methane when it rots in landfill. Click here for more information about how to start a compost bin. If you have a smaller garden or balcony and are short on space, you could consider using a wormery to compost your waste instead of a compost bin.
7. Getting your balcony ready for summer
If you have a balcony rather than a garden, there is still plenty that you can do to get your outdoors space ready for the summer! You can start by pruning any larger plants that you have in pots and planting up pots with flowers or even fruit and veggies. If you want to give biodiversity a boost on your balcony, you can think about planting your pots with butterfly and bee friendly flowers (just look out for the RHS Plants for Pollinators symbol on the seed packets) or even adding a bird feeder or bird bath.
