Do you want a beautiful, blooming garden but don’t feel you have the green-fingered credentials to match?
Gardening needn’t be left to the experts and everyone can create a bright and welcoming outdoor space with a little help, so we’ve gathered a selection of easy to achieve tips. Grab your gardening gloves and let’s get started…
Clear the Way
Before you plant anything, it’s important to provide the perfect conditions for planting.
Start by clearing away dead leaves and plants and then prepare the ground by using a spade or fork to gently turn over the soil. This loosens compacted soil and creates space for roots and water drainage.
When to Water
Potted plants will need regular watering as they only have a limited amount of soil to draw from. When you’ve planted into the ground, however, check the soil before watering.
If the ground is dry add water, and if not, leave the plants to soak up moisture naturally.
Go Big
While smaller pots and planters may seem more manageable, they can require a great deal of maintenance such as repotting, individual planting and lots of watering.
Instead opt for big, single planters. They leave plenty of room for plants to grow, won’t dry out as quickly and can be watered in one go.
Plant Perennials
Perennials such as chrysanthemum, geraniums, peonies and milk parsley are ideal for hands-off gardening. They’ll bloom throughout spring and summer, die back during autumn/winter and burst into life again the next year.
Your garden will be bustling with colour without any need to plant new seeds or bulbs, so you can simply sit back and wait.
Be Evergreen
While many of us pay more attention to our gardens throughout the warmer months, a selection of plants that grow year-round will make planting feel like much less of a task when the new season rolls around.
Leylandii and privet provide great borders, while grasses, ferns and lavender will brighten up your borders all year-round.
Perfect Planting
There are a few key tips to remember when planting:
- Don’t crowd your plants – give them plenty of space to grow
- Be gentle – don’t pull plants from a pot, instead, gently squeeze the pot and turn it upside down into your hand
- Make space – dig a hole bigger than the plant’s roots in order to give them room to expand
- Label your plants – it’s easy to forget what you’ve planted so write a label and pop it in the ground once you’ve finished each area
Grow Your Own Pantry
Not ready to take on the garden? Why not start in the kitchen instead? Potting herbs is a great introduction to planting and it couldn’t be simpler.
Choose a clay pot of around 6 inches in diameter and fill with potting soil, working in a little compost before clearing a hole the size of the nursery pot (the pot your starter plant comes in).
Next, remove your plant from the nursery pot, gently loosen its roots and place it into the hole you created. Gently press the soil around it, water thoroughly, place it in a sunny spot and watch it flourish.
How will you start your summer garden?