If you are dreaming of warm summer evenings, outdoor gatherings, and stunning floral displays or bountiful crops, now is the time to take action. PA's Hannah Stephenson has compiled a list of spring tasks to ensure your garden looks its best and is prepared for the coming months.
Clean Garden Furniture
This is a gritty but necessary job. Hardwood furniture, such as teak, requires minimal upkeep—just remove algae and lichen with warm, soapy water and a soft brush. If you want to restore its original colour, apply a teak protector during dry weather.
Softwood, like pine, is less resilient, meaning you will need to wash it down with warm, soapy water, rinse it off, and once dry, treat it with a wood stain or preservative. If you have metal garden furniture, clean it with warm soapy water using a soft brush or cloth, followed by a thorough rinse.
Once it is dry, check for any rust, which should be sanded down and treated with rust converter or metal paint. When it comes to rattan furniture, dirt can build up in the crevices, so it may require vacuuming before washing with warm, soapy water using a soft brush or old toothbrush. Rinse it off with a hose, then leave it to air-dry.
Continue Sowing
Vegetables that are vulnerable to frost should be germinated indoors and then transplanted outside in late May or early June. This includes French beans, courgettes, aubergines, and tomatoes. For summer colour, sow easy annuals in containers indoors. Choose snapdragons, petunias, cosmos, and zinnias, alongside herbs like parsley, basil, and coriander. Meanwhile, radish, lettuce, rocket, beetroot, peas, spinach, and spring onions can now be sown directly outdoors and then repeatedly throughout the coming months for continuous harvests.
Plant Summer Bulbs
While your spring bulbs might still be flowering, it is time to plant spectacular summer varieties like lilies, dahlias, and cannas. For patio pots, look for varieties that remain at a manageable height, such as patio dahlias and compact lily bulbs.
Fill Gaps in Borders
Hopefully, the borders will have been mulched and fed with a sprinkling of general fertiliser, blood, fish and bone, or chicken pellets to enrich the soil—but there is still time. Examine flowerbeds for empty spots and fill them with summer-flowering perennials, watering regularly until their roots are fully established.
Provide Plant Supports
Identify any tall plants that will need propping up in summer. Put in stakes and supports now while the soil is still soft and before perennials produce leafy growth that would make the task more challenging. Create cane wigwams for sweet peas and runner beans, which can be planted out now.
Start Hanging Baskets
Garden centres already have trays of annuals, but wait until the end of May before planting them in pots or borders. However, you can get ahead with hanging baskets if you keep them protected. Move them into a greenhouse or porch each evening until the risk of frost has passed, then hang them outside during the day to help harden off plants.
Sort Out the Lawn
Spring and summer lawn feeds contain higher nitrogen levels for lusher growth, although it is best to wait until mid-May for this task if you live in a very cold area. If you have noticed patches of moss in your lawn, remove it with a scarifier or spring-tine rake.
Overseed any bare spots before the hot, dry weather arrives. Use a rake to loosen compacted soil at the surface, then mix a handful of grass seed with some compost and scatter it thinly across the area. Water thoroughly and create a boundary with string and pea sticks to prevent foot traffic.
Clean the Patio
Remove weeds from between block paving with a patio knife or a stiff wire-bristled brush. If you are averse to jet-washing your patio for fear of removing the pointing, there are products designed to clean paving with minimal effort—but check they are compatible with the type of stone you have and test on a small area first.
