As the bitter cold winds of winter start to subside and a hint of spring is in the air, it can be the perfect time to start considering and preparing for a spring clean-up of your garden. To help your garden look its best and optimise its growing potential, it is important to give your garden a fresh face.
Spring Clean-up Tips
1. Pick up debris- The autumn and winter winds, snow and rain have probably ensured quite a bit of garden larger garden debris has accumulated, that needs to be cleaned up. Clear away any big stick, animal waste or litter that may have found a way into your garden.
2. Give it a rake- give your lawn a good rake, to remove any remaining leaves, twigs, pinecones or other small garden bits.
3. Clear out garden beds- using a pair of scissor or small garden shears, be sure to remove any dead leaves or stalks from ornamental grasses and perennial plants. Pull up any dead annuals and you could also fertilise more established perennials by putting some fresh compost around the roots.
4. Check over gardening tools- now is a great time to look over all of your gardening or landscaping tools to ensure that the blades are sharp, there is no rust, cracks or other signs of wear. Using tools that are not sharp or well looked after, is a high risk for injury and can decrease efficiency.
5. Prune shrubs and trees- after checking pruning recommendations for your perennial plants, shrubs or any trees, prune those that are appropriate to in spring to help remove any dead branches. Do not trim or shape live branches on flowering trees or shrubs as that would hinder their blooming.
6. Organise your shed- if you have a shed or area in the garage for your gardening tools and machinery, get it nice and organised before its heavy usage this spring and summer.
When clearing out your garden, be sure to wear gloves to prevent injury and enjoy the benefits, a fresh start for your garden, will bring throughout the year.