Getting jobs done in the garden before spring arrives gives you a head start, and it means you can start enjoying your outdoor space as soon as the weather improves. With winter wreaking havoc on lawns, patios and flowerbeds, there’s plenty to get stuck into for getting gardens ready for springtime.
Here are some tips for effective patio cleaning and preparing your garden for spring and summer!
Start tidying early
Keeping your garden and patio areas tidy regularly throughout the year can make maintenance easier when spring comes around. At the end of winter, start by collecting dead leaves and stalks that have fallen to the ground.
Rotting leaves can stain your patio or driveway, but these organic stains can be prevented and minimised by frequent upkeep. Furthermore, dead leaves can harbour diseases that infect your plants. So when getting your garden ready for spring, make sure you clear them from flowerbeds and planters too.
Clean the patio
As well as having a good sweep, give your paving a bit of TLC. Patios and driveways should get a full clean after the winter period. This is a good time to tackle any organic growth build-up, as well as general dirt and debris found on natural stone. Some weeds will have established themselves, so pull these up by the root.
Be sure to also check joints between paving slabs, which could need re-pointing. If you used de-icing salts over the winter period, you may notice some discolouration on the stone. To avoid these stains, try alternative de-icing products in the future.
Fix fences, gates and trellis
The colder season is the ideal time to start preparing your garden for spring with those little maintenance jobs. Get these done in February / early March and you can get the most out of your garden when the flowers bloom.
Check fences, gates and trellis for signs of weather damage. Replace or fix any broken parts, and remove dirt, mildew or moss build-up from fence panels and gates using a power washer. Then choose a dry day to apply any paint, wood stains or wood preservatives.
Prepare the lawn
You’ll also want to spend some time feeding, raking and scarifying your lawn. If your lawn gets waterlogged during winter, regular scarification will increase moisture flow by removing moss and levels of thatch at the base of the grass.
For gardens that have a lot of waterlogging, you may want to look at a better drainage solution. Landscaping with gravel can help water move freely, and a gravelscape can be a very stylish yet low maintenance garden design option. See our selection of aggregates.
Organise flowerbeds and planters
A general tidy up will revive any planters or flowerbeds in your garden. Remove leaves and debris, pull out weeds from the root, and cut back old dead growth to support new growth.
When preparing raised beds for spring planting, you may want to consider moving them somewhere where they can get 6-8 hours of sunlight. Plus, if you have raised beds or borders made from railway sleepers, these will likely need a post-winter clean. The best way to maintain old wooden sleepers is using jet washing tool.
Getting your garden ready for spring and looking to build planters, borders or furniture with wooden sleepers? Take a look at our collection of reclaimed railway sleepers and new oak hardwood sleepers.
Or for a low maintenance paving solution that is weather-resistant and stain-resistant, check out our vitrified porcelain pavers.