Preparing your garden for spring
After what feels like a long winter, the clocks finally go forward this month on Sunday 27 March. That means it’s time to start preparing our gardens for those deliciously languorous summer days – or at least the odd promise of a mini-heatwave. Whether you’re a green-fingered gardener or you prefer to soak up the sun in your favourite deck chair, we’ve got some top tips to help you prepare your garden for spring.
Choose your summer-flowering bulbs and seeds
Now is the perfect time to choose your summer bulbs, from dahlias to agapanthus, begonias to gladioli. It’s best to choose a variety of bulbs that can be planted in early spring. Selecting plants that are both shade-loving and sun-loving will help give your garden balance.
Before planting, look at the orientation of your garden to work out where will be in shade and where will get the full sun in the height of summer. This will help you find the ideal spots for planting each variety of flower.
Tidy up beds and borders
The winter months can cause a build-up of leaf mulch, so spending a day or two tidying up your beds and borders will give your new bulbs and seeds the room they need. Cut back the dead growth on any perennials, but be cautious if you know you have creatures like hedgehogs in your garden.
While you might work up a sweat weeding in your spring garden, you should still wrap up warm. For those brisk spring gardening jobs, a thermal vest from our Thermolactyl range will keep you toasty without overheating.
Clear out your greenhouse
It’s time to clean and clear out your greenhouse ready for planting vegetable seeds and plants. You should wash the interior and exterior of your glass to remove any lichen and moss build-up.
Our extendable garden hoses – available in 15m and 30m – are perfect for tackling even the grimiest of greenhouses. Once the glass is clean, you should then disinfect it to deter any pests from destroying your plants.
Sow long-season seeds
Seeds like geraniums, peppers and aubergines require a longer growing season, so these can be planted in your newly cleaned greenhouse. Ideally, they’ll be in a heated propagator to ensure good growth.
Remove garden pests
To avoid all your hard work going to waste and spoiling your spring garden plants, you’ll want to hunt out any hibernating pests like slugs, snails, and aphids. Take a close look at your perennial plants, as well as last year’s pots. These are the likely places you’ll find colonies.
If you’re a tad squeamish (like us!), you’ll want to don a pair of gardening gloves like our unisex set of two. They’ll provide you with that extra layer of protection and have the bonus of keeping hands and nails free from mud!
Install a water butt
Spring showers are famous at this time of year, so collecting all the seasonal rainfall and harvesting it for the hotter months is an eco-friendly way to keep your garden looking in tip-top condition.
Not only are you being environmentally friendly, but you’re also helping your spring garden plants live longer. Tap water tends to be more alkaline compared with rainwater and many plants prefer rainwater. Water butts also make it much easier to fill a watering can for your vegetable seeds and plants in the greenhouse.
Spruce up fences, gates, and trellises
While your beds are looking relatively empty, you can get up close and personal with your fences and trellises. Check for any signs of weather damage or decay and spend time fixing structures now. Come the summer, you can sit back and relax in your beautiful garden.
You’ll want to wear something hardy, like a pair of jeans that give you protection while also allowing you to move freely. Our Perfect Fit collection has just the right amount of stretch (as well as a secret tummy support panel) to help you get the job done.
Clean and sharpen tools
You’ll need to make sure that you can keep on top of the pruning and weeding throughout the spring and summer season, so taking the time now to clean and sharpen tools is essential. Maintaining your tools will also help extend their lifespan and save you money on replacements.
Dirty tools can spread bacteria and fungi, which could impact the health of your newly planted vegetable seeds and plants.
Sit back, relax, and put your feet up
Once you’ve prepared your garden for spring, it’s time to sit back, relax, pop the kettle on and put your feet up. Browse the latest collection at www.damart.co.uk and get ready for spring with Damart.