Springtime is just around the corner, which means that the nation’s gardeners will soon be out every weekend, wielding secateurs, trowels, and an irrepressible desire to cultivate things. It’s an exciting time to be outdoors!
If your gardening efforts for the year are going to ultimately be successful, then you’ll want to get an early start. This will allow you to make the most of spring, which will in turn allow you to make the most of summer.
So, what should your preparations look like? Let’s run through a few fundamentals.
Tool inventory
It’s a good idea to start the year with a review of your toolshed. Look at the tools which are in need of attention after the winter. If you know how to maintain them, then you can often get significant extra mileage from just about every tool you own. Clean them with a strong detergent and a scourer. Lubricate the moving parts; sharpen the cutting ones.
It might be that you need to replace rather than repair, or that you need to bring an entirely new kind of tool into the garden this year. Set your budget and invest, making sure that you shop around for the best possible deal. It’s usually a good idea to shop for quality brands, and save yourself the hassle in the long term. It’s usually a good idea to shop for quality brands, and save yourself the hassle in the long term - Milwaukee hand tools tend to serve nicely.
Prepare the lawn
If your lawn is still covered with dead leaves and other detritus, then it’s time to clear them away. Rotting plant matter can harbour diseases and harmful kinds of bacteria.
It’s a good idea at this point to scarify your lawn, depending on its condition. If your lawn is sitting on heavy clay-based soil, then you might aerate it, too: just give it a poke with a garden fork at regular intervals.
Bulbs and seeds
This is the exciting part for many: think about the flowers you’d like to see blooming in a few months, and devise a calender for planting. Sow the seeds that need longer to come to flower now. You can get very organised here, if you’re so minded.
Maintaining fences, beds, and compost
Over the winter, your entire garden will have suffered wear and tear. It’s a good idea to perform the necessary maintenance at this point. You can mend fences, or repaint them. You might also look to employ some basic woodworking to create raised planters, or compost bins.
Clean your greenhouse
All of your garden-related outbuildings will need a clean. Now is a great time to do it. See if you can optimise the space, and clear room so that you can fulfil your ambitions for later in the year. If you’re in the greenhouse, for example, you might set aside a shelf to use to get your new crop of tomatoes going.
Get rid of garden pests
Some of the animals we think of as pests actually form an important part of your garden’s ecosystem. But that doesn’t mean that their numbers don’t need to be controlled. You have several organic means of doing this, so make sure that you investigate every option available.
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