What to do in the garden this spring

After the long winter months, spring is now upon us. Your garden has been sleeping over winter; weeds creeping in, your lawn is now running amok, and what on earth is going on with your flowerbeds? But not to worry – with a little spring cleaning, your garden will be looking better than ever.

Get weeding

Those pesky weeds won’t be ruling your veg patch for much longer. Grab your garden tools and get to work removing them – they’ll be much easier to deal with now than if you leave them to their own devices for several more weeks. When you’ve given your flowerbeds and borders a bit of a tidy, heap on the mulch generously; this will ensure any other weeds which are lurking as seeds beneath the surface won’t see the light of day.

Lawn care

Your lawn won’t have been growing much through the colder months. But now that spring is here, and the warmer weather is fast approaching, the grass will be in desperate need of a trim. To give it its first mow of the season, wait for a dry day; this will make sure that the grass is nice and healthy. You’ll need to cut it regularly for the next few months to stop it getting out of control.

Is your lawn looking a little tired? Now is the time to sow and seed or lay down any turf, as you’ll be giving the new lawn time to establish itself. Redefine lawn edges and borders with a trowel, or even treat yourself to some lawn edging to make future maintenance easier. Keep any grass clippings or hedge trimmings for the compost heap, too.

Get planting

As the days grow warmer and the sun stays out for longer, spring is the perfect time to get planting in the garden. Think about what you want to grow in your garden this year and plant accordingly. Companies like Thompson and Morgan will even deliver your much-needed seeds and plants right to your door to save any unnecessary trips out of the house. 

Now is also a great time to transplant anything you want to move, as it gives plants time to re-establish themselves before the heat of summer. Get plants off to a good start in the greenhouse ready for transplanting into the garden later on in the year.

Fertiliser

Fertilise your lawn and plants with a slow-release fertiliser, as well as compost and manure. After the long winter months your soil will be grateful for the extra nutrients – as will your greenery! Lightly fork fertiliser into the soil to make sure it gets the nutrients it needs.

Plant supports

If any plants need them, now is the time to put plant supports in place, so the plants can grow up through them. It’s always tricky to try and add supports afterwards, and often looks messy and unattractive.

Prune away

To encourage extra growth, prune your roses. They’ll bloom thoroughly in the summer months to reward you for your efforts. Give those low-hanging branches and shrubs a trim with your shears, and keep the clippings for your compost. Perennials could also do with a good pruning! Be careful not to prune the flowering buds, however, as you might not see more flowering from them later in the year. 

Sort seeds

If your seed collection is looking a bit untidy, and you’re struggling to find what you’re looking for, spring is the perfect time of year to organise all those lovely seed packets. Try to get them in order of month for planting, so you can easily pick out what you need throughout the year.

Pesky pests

Try to encourage a helping hand from nature by creating a wildlife-friendly garden. By encouraging visitors like hedgehogs, bats, toads, and other helpful animals, even insects, mother nature will be able to take care of pesky pests like aphids, slugs, and caterpillars. Why not invest in a hedgehog house to have your own resident slug remover? 

Putting out a bird feeder filled with tasty seed will be a great way to attract birds to your garden, who will be all too happy to peck away at any unwanted insects who might be having a detrimental effect on your garden.

Are there any spring gardening jobs that you think we’ve missed off our list? We’d love to hear all about them over on our Facebook page.

Lead image: Aiselin82 via Getty Images.