April gardening is always exciting, readying your outside space for the spring and summer months ahead so you can enjoy the outdoors all season long. From clearing away the winter debris to ensuring spring and summer flowers can bloom, there’s a fair bit to do to prepare your garden for spring. Not to mention, prepping your paving or decking for the garden parties you’ll host. Luckily, our guide is here to help you master it, so your garden or patio space will be ready for fun in the sun.
Early Spring Garden Prep
At the start of spring, when the first rays of sunshine are starting to pop through, it’s time to clear winter away.
“There really is no time like the present! While it may feel like more effort to maintain your garden, regularly keeping up with tasks can prevent more long-term damage, such as collecting dead leaves that can rot and stain your paving or driveway.” Words from Andy Mclaughlin, our Sales and Operations Director.
So, start by sweeping away those winter leaves. Then, remove any plant pots, garden furniture, or other obstacles from your paving. It’s now time to check your paving for any winter damages, such as cracks from the freeze-thaw cycle, algae and lichen growth, mossy patches, and more.
If your paving has developed lichen and algae over winter, a solution of bleach and water is in order. Apply this solution to the affected area regularly, scrubbing with a stiff wire brush. However, be sure not to get any of the mixture on the greenery you actually do want around as bleach is damaging to plants.
Moss should be removed with a trowel and the area where the moss was should then be tackled with a scrubbing brush and patio cleaner.
Any cracks that have appeared over winter should be immediately fixed, and your paving should then be re-grouted and re-sealed for sturdiness. See our paving maintenance guide for more tips on keeping paving pristine through the seasons.
How to Get Your Garden Lawn Ready for Spring
Your lawn has likely been neglected over winter, so it’s high time to mow it, give it a rake to remove moss, and tidy up the edges.
Our Sales and Operations Director, Andy Mclaughlin, says:
“It’s common for your lawn to get waterlogged during winter, but you can avoid this using regular scarification. Whether it’s feeding, raking or scarifying, increasing the moisture flow and removing moss and thatch levels at the base of the grass will help keep your lawn healthy.”
“In extreme cases of waterlogging, a better drainage system can help reduce the impact on your garden. Landscaping options, such as gravel, allow the water to move more freely over your garden, preventing waterlogging. This makes it a low-maintenance yet style-friendly option that fits your garden preferences.”
Planting to Prepare Your Garden for Summer
One of our top April gardening tips is to start planting your dream summer flowers now: sunflowers, marigolds, begonias, and more. This will give them plenty of time to grow into absolute beauties you’ll love gazing at when spending summer relaxing in your outdoor space.
Why not consider creating or renovating your flower beds? Sleepers are ideal for this. You can create a raised bed, making the area stand out – and it would also involve less kneeling on the floor!
Andy says: “With longer hours of daylight approaching, there is no better time to neaten planters and flowerbeds in your garden. Ensure weeds are pulled by the root to prevent regrowth, old leaves are removed, and any dead growth is snipped away.”
“If you have any raised beds in your garden, we recommend moving them to a spot where they can get around 6-8 hours of sunlight daily. Raised beds and any borders made from railway sleepers are also likely to benefit from a spring clean, and we would recommend using a jet washer if you have one to hand.”
Finishing Touches: Spring and Summer Gardening Tips
One way to make your garden extra magical this spring and summer is to make it bird-ready. Attract them with bird feeders hung on your decking, bird baths perched on your pergolas, and more. Your summer sunbathing will be even lovelier with feathered friends around.
If you have decking, this is also the perfect time for a tidy-up so that your deck is ready for those outdoor summer cocktail parties and buffets, or simply your own relaxation. This means removing furniture and obstacles, brushing away leaves, scrubbing with soapy water and then gently hosing down. You should then leave your decking to dry for about a day before popping your furniture and plant pots back in place.
Shopping to Prepare Your Garden for Spring
Lastly, it’s the perfect time for some shopping to treat yourself to a whole new garden style for the upcoming season. Whether you’re indulging in new garden furniture for comfortable sunbathing, a few fresh plants for a splash of colour, or perhaps a bigger garden change.
For example, you might install a new pergola to shade from the summer sun, or even build new decking or install new paving. Spring is the paving season after all, as it offers less rain and milder temperatures, meaning you won’t need to worry about frost and damp interfering with your landscaping. So, if you’ve been considering some garden steps, a cobbled driveway or a porcelain patio, this spring is the time!
You can find everything you need for your paving and paving maintenance with RF Paving. Need a trustworthy expert for your paving installation or repairs? We have a directory of trusted tradespeople for you to peruse.
