Getting your garden ready for spring. With the strong winds and storms we have had recently spring might seem a long way off but now that we are in February it actually isn’t that far away. So let’s take a look at what we can start to do to get our garden ready for the spring.

  1. Have a quick stroll around your garden to get a good overview. Look at your fences and any walls to check that they are in a good state and not in need of repairing or replacing. Now is a good time to carry out any repairs so the garden is ready to fully enjoy in the spring. Treat your wooden structures with a wood preservative during a dry period. Take a look at our blog on maintaining your fencing http://www.eastlondonlandscapes.com/maintaining-a-fence/ for some further tips.
  2. Give your garden decking a good brush with a hard broom. Brush away any leaves or debris stuck in the corners. If there is a build-up of mildew on the decking give it a good clean. Take a look at our blog for maintaining your decking http://www.eastlondonlandscapes.com/maintaining-your-garden-decking/ for some further advice.
  3. Check your tools to check they are in good working order and not in need of repair. Store them away in an easily accessible place to get full use out of them this year. Nothing worse than hunting around for a tool when you want to get a job done!
  4. Rake over your lawn to remove any debris or dead leaves. This helps to aerate the soil. Try to do this when the soil is not too wet to avoid compacting it.
  5. Prune your shrubs and trees.
  6. Turn over your soil and weed and mulch your beds. Remove any annual plants as they will not return to clear space in the bed for this year’s planting. Cut away the dead stalks of any perennials. This will encourage growth for the coming year.
  7. Take a look at your garden beds to plan your planting for the coming year. Have a look at your current plants to see what new ones will compliment them. They have some great choices in the local garden centres to give you inspiration or you could order summer flowering bulbs online. In February you can start to sow seeds which require a longer growing season. They will need to be grown in a heated propagator.
  8. Turn over your compost pile. Try to move the good stuff at the bottom to the top and give it a good mix up.
  9. Give your greenhouse a thorough clean so it is ready for all the spring seedlings. Brush all the surfaces and give everything a clean and wash all the window panes.
  10. Install water butts now to collect rainfall which are good for your beds and saves on your water bill. Make sure it is positioned below a downpipe to catch the maximum amount of rainwater.