Summer may be here, but it’s a good time to keep your garden looking good and prepare for the autumn. Sometimes, it can be hard to get to all the little jobs that are on the list, which is why people often decide to take the plunge and hire a gardener or handyman. However, if you have a quick half an hour to spare, take a look at five things you can do in your garden which will spruce it up and leaving you feeling relaxed, happy and prepared.
1. Potter! What else are gardens for, if not pottering? When you get a few spare minutes, take some time to do a bit of weeding – 20 or 30 minutes here or there will save you a back-breaking, 2-hour job in the future.
2. Take a few minutes to dead-head your flowers. They look lovely in full bloom, but when they start to die, they can make your garden look tired. By dead-heading your perennial and bedding plants, you will stop them from self-seeding and they may even reward you with another bloom in autumn.
3. Start thinking about bulbs. Look for bulbs that will flower in October through to January – there are some beautiful bulbs which will offer your garden a splash of colour when the first, dull days of winter set in. Be careful that you plant the right bulbs at the right time; ask your local gardening centre or gardener for advice.
4. If you have a vegetable patch, keep an eye on them. Pick courgettes regularly and get rid of any brown leaves to encourage more flowers. Your onions and shallots should be ripening beautifully; if the leaves are going yellow, don’t be tempted to cut them, as you could introduce disease to the vegetable. Spend a relaxing half hour picking beans and peas – they need to be picked regularly or they will go stringy.
5. Water regularly – in the summer months, your plants need regular watering. Not just a sprinkle, but a good soaking. Make watering your garden something you do as a routine every day.
We know that keeping on top of the garden can be time-consuming, and often hard to fit in with busy lives. If you want to reap all of the benefits of having a well-tended garden, but you simply don’t have the time to do it yourself, you could consider hiring a gardener.
Think about what you want: do you want someone to come in and sort out your garden as a one-off, so you can maintain it in the future? Or are you looking for someone to come regularly and help maintain your garden, fruit and vegetables? You may just want someone to look after your garden while you are on holiday.
Look for reviewed gardeners on Trust A Trader and give them a call for a quick chat and a quote, to see if they can help your garden to look lush and inviting through the summer and beyond.
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