How to Prepare Your Garden for the Summer

After the colder months, your garden may require some maintenance to get it ready for summer and to keep it looking at its best. There are many ways to get the garden prepped for the hotter season, so you and the wildlife can enjoy it. Below, you will find a list of ways you can get started on garden maintenance to ensure the health and longevity of the plants. Read on to find out more.

Lawn Care

Throughout winter and spring, your lawn is exposed to a range of weather conditions that may leave it looking like it needs a bit of TLC. To help revive your front and back garden, we recommend the following to get your lawn back into shape:

• Fertiliser – fertiliser is the perfect option for promoting growth by offering much-needed nutrients. This also encourages a stronger colour of green for the grass and offers increased strength for the season ahead.
• Lawn edges – take some time to neaten up your lawn edges to give your garden a tidy and presentable aesthetic. This can be done at least once a week with a half-moon edging tool or edging shears.
• Mowing – if your lawn is already established, you can begin mowing your lawn when the weather is dry and mild to maintain growth levels. If it is the first cut of the year, raise the mower blades higher than you would normally, as the grass will have experienced a lot of growth during the colder periods.
• Moss – moss growth is common on a lot of lawns, but easy to remove. Use a spring-tined rake to gently pull the moss from the ground – this will allow your lawn to grow a lot healthier. 

Prune and Weed

Over the colder months, weeds will have had an opportunity to take hold. By removing the weeds, your flowers and plants will have an increased opportunity to grow during the summer. As weeds tend to grow quickly and all over the garden, there may be regular maintenance required to keep on top of them to prevent them from taking nutrients from other plants. 

Over the autumn months, leaves and branches on trees and bushes tend to die off – we recommend pruning these plants to ensure new growth come the summer months. Secateurs are ideal for easy-to-reach plants, but for harder-to-reach trees and bushes, we recommend using a long-reach pruner, which will enable you to reach the higher branches, without the risk of falling off a step ladder or cutting yourself on sharp thorns or twigs.

Mulch Application

Mulch is made up of a range of materials including grass cuttings, bark, hay, leaves and more. It is usually applied to the soil – whilst it saves water by providing much-needed water/moisture retention and preventing weed growth, it also has the added benefit of making your garden look presentable. Adding mulch to flower beds protects water retention during hotter weather, as the water doesn’t evaporate as easily. In turn, this means that you won’t need to water your plants as often.

Attract Wildlife

Attracting wildlife to your garden allows it to flourish and gives them a source of food or shelter. Ensuring your garden is accessible to wildlife is the first step to attracting them – cutting a hole into the bottom of your fence allows them full access to come and go as they please. If your fence connects your garden to your neighbour’s, check with them beforehand before making any changes. Bird feeders, food and man-made shelters are also suitable ways to draw wildlife to your home.

Water Butts

With an emphasis on water conservation, water butts are a fantastic way to collect rainwater to help with a range of tasks, including watering plants during hot spells as well as cleaning your car and patio. Rainwater is the best type of water to give your plants and it’s also free! You don’t have to use a full-sized water butt if you don’t have enough space to allow it – smaller versions can be hugely beneficial as well.

Start Composting

You can make your own compost at home – it’s easy and provides your soil with vital nutrients, retains water and protects against droughts and disease. There are two ways to make compost – using a compost bin or building your own with wood planks. To begin composting, discard organic waste, such as fruit and vegetable peelings or grass cuttings, amongst other things. After it’s broken down, you are left with compost, which will keep your plants and soil healthy.

Clean Your Gardening Tools

If it’s been a while since you last cleaned your gardening tools, you may need to consider doing so. Over time rust and dirt can build up on your tools, which not only breaks them but also makes your garden more susceptible to disease. You can use rainwater from your water butt to clean them to save water. 

Plant Drought-Resisting Plants

During the hotter summers, you feel the need to water your plants on a regular basis – however, this isn’t necessarily true for some plants. Flowers such as Vervain, Lavender, Blue Spire and Salvia are excellent options for a drought-free garden, especially if you’re looking to conserve water on the hottest days of the year. 

Garden Services from Abingdon’s

Whether you are looking to landscape your garden or just need help with maintenance, the team here at Abingdon’s has over 30 years of experience in the gardening industry. We’re renowned for supplying some of the best landscape design services in Oxfordshire. We offer a range of services including:

• Grass cutting
• Hedge trimming
• Pruning
• Weeding
• Plant bedding
• Site clearance
• Garden design
• Patio and pathway installation
• Fencing installation and decking
• Water feature installation
• Block paving
• Turfing
• Re-turfing
• Pergola installation

If you’d like to find out more about our services, contact us today to make an enquiry or take a look at our dedicated Garden Maintenance page.