With the Bank Holiday around the corner and the Jubilee weekend not too far away, thoughts are turning to outdoor entertaining and preparing the garden for barbecue season or simply creating a welcoming retreat on a lazy summer evening.
With a little guidance and inspiration, even the less green-fingered can achieve great results in a short space of time. With this in mind, we asked professional gardener, Matt Harris from RMF Landscaping, to give his expert advice on how to transform your garden into an extension of your home.
Top Tips:
1. Preparation is key
Before you plant or lay turf in your garden, take the time to make sure the soil is well turned and all weeds are removed. To encourage fertility, try adding compost or manure to the soil.
2. Location, location, location
We all know that an open garden that gets plenty of sunshine is ideal for getting the best results, but even the shadiest of gardens can look beautiful with the right choice of plants. Primroses need less sunshine so is the perfect for a garden that doesn’t benefit from long sunlight hours.
3. Make a plan
When planning your garden, it’s worth considering a colour scheme – if your home has French doors leading to the garden, a continuation of the colour scheme from house to garden creates stylish impact. Think about the different heights and sizes of the plants to complement the overall theme of the garden. A flower bed of all the same height can look very neat and chic, whereas a mixture adds a dynamic feel to the garden – both look great depending on your own personal style.
4. Go potty
Homeowners with limited space – including those living in apartments – can still make the most of their outdoor areas with clever use of pots. A huge range of plants, flowers, vegetables and herbs can be grown in pots, creating a visual and edible feast for the senses! And don’t forget hanging baskets, which can frame the home and create an elegant first impression.
5. Planting the seed
Whether planting from seed or plantlet, it’s important to give each plant plenty of space because the roots will grow outwards in all directions – if you’re unsure how big a plant will grow just ask your local gardener or garden centre for some advice. Try not to plant small flowers in the shadow of a larger shrub or plant, as the larger plant will steal all the sunlight, water and nutrients and the smaller plant won’t survive.
When planting hanging baskets, ensure you soak each plant in water before removing them from the container and planting them as the baskets don’t retain water very well. Water-retention gel added to the soil and a bin liner put in the bottom of the basket can also help to keep the soil moist through the dry summer days.
6. Maintaining your outdoor haven
With a hosepipe ban in place in certain parts of the UK, watering your garden is going to be tricky but there are ways around this. Try collecting rainwater in a harvester to use throughout the summer, but start now so that you have plenty of reserve. As well as sufficient watering, ensure you prune your plants regularly to get rid of any dead buds and leaves to make way for new ones to flourish.
Hopefully you’ll find these tips simple and practical and a great way to get you and your garden set for summer!
Ann Crick
Sales Director, Miller Homes
