Staying safe at home, with an excuse to park yourself on the sofa and binge your favourite programs and drinks. And get paid to do it…well, it would’ve been the dream just a few months ago. But these four walls have got a little too familiar now, don’t you think?
If you’re one of those lucky people blessed with an outdoor space, the picture may look a little different. Space to breathe, to move, to swing cats if that’s what your thing…so for heaven’s sake, make the most of it!
Indeed, in these difficult, uncertain times, your garden is a surefire, proven way to increase your wellbeing and promote positive mental health. And with lockdown in one form or another set to continue for a while yet, it’s more important than ever to not only enjoy your garden now, but also get it set for the summer months, too. With that in mind, here are 5 IDEAL spring gardening tips during self isolation.
SPRING CLEAN
Let’s start with the most obvious – a spring clean. Before you start anything else out there, get your rake out (no innuendos here) and clear all the leaves and debris which have built up over the winter. Now is the perfect time to pull all those weeds out too, in preparation for more action in the coming months. If you’re looking to kit out your shed, then several power garden tools like a lawn mower, string trimmer, and leaf blower will help speed up the cleaning process with efficiency and accuracy. Check out useful online gardening tool resource OccupyTheFarm to help you choose the best equipment for each job.
The colder months will have also taken a toll on your soil. All that rain will not only have compacted it, but also washed away valuable nutrients that help your plants to thrive. Take decisive action; top up the soil and be sure to add some mulch which not only improves your soil, but also gives your flower beds a neat and tidy appearance. Moreover, mulch helps soil retain its moisture in summer and helps to prevent weeds from growing.
Spring also represents the best season to tidy up and renew your lawn too. Give your grass a good cut and if you’re starting a new lawn, now’s the time to lay turf or sow your seeds.
PREP & PRUNE YOUR PERENNIALS
Perennials aren’t demanding plants – therein lies their beauty. Indeed, they’re easy to grow and maintain, and are an economic choice for many gardeners. One of the best times to plant perennials is in Spring (March to early May) when the ground is moist but the weather warming. Use this enforced period of downtime to add them to your beds and borders.
For any perennials you already have, this is the season to give them some TLC.
Take care to freshen up the soil around your perennials with that much needed mulch. Since many perennials grow quickly and form big clumps, you can keep them performing and blooming beautifully by dividing them up, allowing each space to grow.
DEAR APRIL
Vegetable gardens are surprisingly holistic in their health benefits. The most obvious, of course, is an access to freshly grown, freshly picked produce – particularly handy at a time when we’re all travelling to the supermarket less.
April represents the most ripe and fertile time to sow some seeds and hardier crops, with beetroot, carrots, leeks, lettuce, potatoes, parsnips and peas all traditionally entering the soil this month. Take this opportunity, then, to turn couch potatoes into real ones this month. Give yourself a headstart with our IDEAL beginner’s guide to growing your own produce.
HARDY ANNUALS
Away from the edible side of things, April is also prime time to sow some hardy annuals, such as pot marigolds, annual chrysanthemums, sunflowers and nasturtiums. Actually, you could put the latter in your food; a really pretty addition to the plate, we think.
And the good news is that some of those hardy annuals not only look great in the garden, but they also offer nectar and pollen to bees, so you’ll be doing your bit for the environment, too!
THE WHOLE NINE YARDS
So you’ve prepped and pruned your garden, sown some seeds and planted veg…now what about some chairs so you can enjoy all your hard work? Consider some ‘all-weather seating’ that can withstand the ever changing whims of Mother Nature with ease. We’re fans of lounge sets, in particular, since they’re super sociable and comfortable, too.
And since we won’t be going out to many restaurants in the foreseeable future, now’s the time to get your garden primed and prepped for some convivial party cooking. A decent, charcoal barbeque is essential (no gas for us, thanks) since it imparts that wonderful smokey flavour. If you’re not wrestling smoke and spitting flames, then you might as well cook your meat in your oven, right?
Aside from that, some decent barbeque utensils, like durable tongs, a fork, and even those awesome grilling baskets (particularly good for fish) will see you through. And if you really want to go all out consider installing an outdoor pizza oven to bring a taste of Italy to your garden.
Just because you’re intent on getting your Spring garden just right, doesn’t mean you should be frivolous with your watering in the process. Check out our 5 IDEAL water saving tips for your garden this spring to things as sustainably as possible.