Passionate about petals: Spring garden checks to do now

Passionate about petals: Spring garden checks to do now

With the new season just underway, there are a few spring garden checks to make as the warmer weather comes in and the bloom begins. From preparing the flowerbeds to weeding and even mowing the lawn, here are some handy suggestions to get you excited for the season.

Inspect the water systems

Some may say there’s some great pleasure in watering flowers, plants and shrubs with a watering can. And maybe they’re right. But with a large garden to tend to, this isn’t always the best or most practical idea. It will take time, energy and much more water. A drip irrigation system can save up to 95% of the water from a can or sprinkler. It may be a good idea to book irrigation repairs or an inspection. This will help it work properly and resolve any issues caused by a harsh winter.

Prepare the flowerbeds

Spring is an excellent time for planting new flowers. Yet, after the winter neglect, the flowerbeds can become a little unkempt. Weeds and general debris will deplete the soil. Whether you want to plant vegetables, herbs or flowers, a little clean-up is necessary. It’s also a good idea to did over winter mulch, cut back dead foliage and give the hedges a little prune. And remember, you don’t know what you’ll find, so wear some protective gloves for this task!

Spring garden checks includes patios

Who doesn’t love a good patio or decking? What an enjoyable way to enjoy your garden during spring, summer and early autumn. Plus, investing in decking can add between 5% and 10% to the value of your home! Before you can relax, though, it will need some TLC. Winter can throw all kinds at the patio and decking, and around half an hour of work can make them look as good as new. Clear away debris, check for splinters and cracks and clear away any moss or grime.

Check weeds and spread mulch

Weeds are the scourge of any beautiful garden, and they become rampant during spring. The warmer temperature encourages their growth, and they can become a problem if left unchecked for too long. So grab the hoe from the shed and get to work! Applying a layer of fresh mulch will help control weeds in a more natural way than if using a chemical weed killer.

Don’t forget the lawn

Mowing the lawn is a great way to spend some outdoor time or to teach the kids some responsibility! Mowing the lawn can be so enjoyable and fulfilling that between 75% and 85% of people (in the US) do it themselves. Given that it’s often a large patch of grass in front or at the back of your home, it’s hard to overlook it. But some people do or simply neglect it. But this is a mistake; a lawn becomes much more challenging the longer you leave it, so grab an old choppy from the shed! Alternatively, if you prefer a less labour-intensive and a more environmentally friendly option, develop a wildflower meadow type area instead.

Summary

The garden needs more love when the weather gets warmer and days become longer. Inspecting your water systems, clearing the patio and decking and mowing the lawn are necessary spring garden checks to do now. Doing so will prepare your flower beds and borders and get rid of weeds for the new season ahead.

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Alternative Easter

Alternative Easter | H is for Home

Delicious though they are, there’s more to Easter than chocolate eggs. We don’t want Easter to lag behind Christmas and Halloween in the decoration stakes! Easter is a time of spring renewal and optimism – and these fresh, cheery alternative Easter choices fit the mood perfectly.

  1. Create your own Easter bunny bunting: from £2.05
  2. ‘Bunch of Carrots’ reusable bubble bar: £6.50 each, Lush
  3. Egg & flower Easter wreath by The Chicken and the Egg: £30, Notonthehighstreet

shop Easter

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Bunch of Carrots reusable bubble bar
Bunch of Carrots reusable bubble bar
£6.50
Create your own Easter bunny bunting
Create your own Easter bunny bunting
£2.05
Egg & flower Easter wreath
Egg & flower Easter wreath
£30.00
Bunch of Carrots reusable bubble bar
Bunch of Carrots reusable bubble bar
£6.50
Create your own Easter bunny bunting
Create your own Easter bunny bunting
£2.05
Egg & flower Easter wreath
Egg & flower Easter wreath
£30.00
Bunch of Carrots reusable bubble bar
Bunch of Carrots reusable bubble bar
£6.50
Create your own Easter bunny bunting
Create your own Easter bunny bunting
£2.05
Egg & flower Easter wreath
Egg & flower Easter wreath
£30.00
Bunch of Carrots reusable bubble bar
Bunch of Carrots reusable bubble bar
£6.50
Create your own Easter bunny bunting
Create your own Easter bunny bunting
£2.05
Egg & flower Easter wreath
Egg & flower Easter wreath
£30.00
Bunch of Carrots reusable bubble bar
Bunch of Carrots reusable bubble bar
£6.50
Create your own Easter bunny bunting
Create your own Easter bunny bunting
£2.05
Egg & flower Easter wreath
Egg & flower Easter wreath
£30.00

Home Tones: Daffodil yellow

daffodils on a tray on a tablecredit

Both Gardener’s World and Springwatch were praising the beauty of daffodils on the television last night – and we’ve got some lovely swathes appearing in the local countryside. They really capture the vitality and optimism of spring. So, with the clocks going forward tonight, what other colour could we possibly have chosen for this week’s Home Tones than daffodil yellow?

It’s a fabulous highlight colour – feature walls & doors, chairs, lampshades, cushions and bed covers can all provide that flash of zingy, life-affirming colour without overdoing it. It lifts cream based neutrals & blond wood – and contrasts wonderfully against the much in vogue grey palette. In the case of daffodil yellow, it certainly is possible to have too much of a good thing. But, when used skilfully, it’s hard to beat for impact.

daffodil yellow painted open doorcredit

Yellow painted kids' bathroom with yellow tile strip in the shower enclosurecredit

Yellow kitchen cabinetcredit

Pair of yellow chairs in front of a firecredit

Twin beds with yellow pillows in an all-white bedroomcredit

Yellow painted pantry and kitchen unitcredit

Allotment Diary: April & May

'Allotment Diary' blog post banner

cow parsley growing on our allotment

We’ve not done an Allotment Diary post for quite a while – that’s not to say we’ve not been keeping busy.

Working on our allotment in May 2015

We’re bringing you what we got up to in April & May… all in one go!

Justin digging beds on our allotment in May 2015

We cleared more overgrown areas in preparation for planting crops.

Adelle securing tomato plants on our allotment in May 2015

Some lovely, young tomato plants donated to us by Trudi who lives next door went into this bed.

Making pots from newspapers for potting on seedlings

We’ve also been sowing lots of seeds at home where we can keep an eye on the young plants. Adelle spent an afternoon making these little pots out of old newspapers to accommodate some of them…

Growing radish seedlings for our allotment in April 2015

…and various seed trays are full to bursting.

Growing bean seedlings on our allotment in May 2015

Young plants are then taken to the allotment to plant out – French bean seedlings in an old bathtub here!

Growing squash seedlings under a cloche on our allotment in May 2015

And these little butternut squash seedlings have found a new home under their cavernous cloche.

Chitted seed potatoes being planted in trenches on our allotment in April 2015

The potatoes we chitted and planted a few weeks ago are doing really well – no frost, thank goodness!

Potato plants thriving on our allotment in May 2015

We have them dotted all over the place in beds & bags – Jersey Royals, Maris Peer and King Eddies.

Strawberry plants flowering on our allotment in April 2015

Strawberries are developing flowers that should become nice juicy fruits. This is another bathtub project which we’re very hopeful of – keeping them slightly elevated under nets should keep slugs and birds at bay.

Last year's celery still growing on our allotment in May 2015

We left these celery plants in their beds at the end of last year – they seem to be growing nice new stalks this spring, so we’ll see what happens.

Currants on our allotment in May 2015

Fruit bushes are looking very healthy this year – these redcurrants should be full to bursting come September.

Creature proofing our allotment

We’re started putting up protection after last year’s crop devastation. Also, a network of canes are in place along bed edges at the moment. This is an attempt to teach our dog Fudge to walk along designated paths just like Nigel the Golden Retriever on Gardeners’ World!

Woodpile on our allotment in May 2015

Other jobs included sweeping the very last of autumn’s leaves and cutting back overhanging branches which cast shade over the plot. More sunshine for the plants and a bit of firewood for us!

Flowers on our allotment in May 2015

We like to keep some areas on the allotment over for flowers – they look pretty and are great for wildlife. Many of them self-seed, so it’s just a case of giving them loose boundaries and transplanting where required.

Training a rose bush on an arch on our allotment in May 2015

We inherited a rather tangled and untidy rose bush which grew almost horizontally through the undergrowth. This metal arch should give it more structure and opportunity to flower – the brick path will eventually be extended beneath which should look great.

Robin perched on a spade handle on our allotment in May 2015

One beneficiary of some natural areas are the birds. We might not want them eating our strawberries, but there are plenty of insects that they can get stuck into. We get all kinds of finches, tits and thrushes. Our friend the robin has been a permanent fixture on our visits. You can’t leave your tools unattended for long without it using them as the perfect vantage point for freshly uncovered worms. We do have one bird problem though. We’re fans of Mark Radcliffe & Stuart Maconie on BBC 6Music. Unfortunately, we caught one episode where they said that the wood pigeon’s call sounds like, “My toe hurts Betty”. It drives us nuts now – we just can’t get it out of our heads!

Picking stinging nettles on our allotment in May 2015

It’s not just wildlife that benefits from the untouched corners of the allotment. These nettles are growing in a rusty old trough at the far end of the plot. The young tips make great soup… and nettle bread was one of our recent Cakes & Bakes posts.

The robin perched on a fence on our allotment in May 2015

It’s certainly been beneficial to get going a bit earlier this time round – hopefully we’ll reap the benefits later on in the year!