Spring Home & Garden
Winter may seem to still have Mid Argyll and Kintyre in its icy grip, but the snowdrops and daffodils tell a different story.
Spring is just around the corner and that means it is time to do some cleaning out and sprucing up around the house and garden.
Don’t know where to start? With our handy tips and tricks from the pros, it is easy to get motivated so your home is in tip-top shape when warm weather finally arrives.
Spring Home
From windows that sparkle to a clutter-free garage, spring is a great time to do those things you’ve been putting off all winter. Having your home’s gutters and downspouts cleaned (and repaired if necessary) is one of the first important tasks to schedule this season. Clogged gutters during a rainy spring can cause water to pool, potentially damaging the roof and siding. Using a regular garden hose, attach a siding cleaning kit (available at home improvement stores) to clear away winter grime from your home’s siding. Inspect paths and driveway. Repeated freezing and thawing can take a toll on asphalt and concrete. Check your driveway and paths for cracks and schedule repairs as needed. Create more space in your home by clearing out unloved items. If you have a lot to get rid of, set a date to hold a boot sale. Or contact a local charity to schedule a pick-up – some will send a truck free of charge if you’re donating large items such as furniture. Can you park your car in your garage? If not (or if it’s a tight fit), it may be time to make some more space. Clear out the junk, and schedule time to take unused paint, motor oil and other hazardous items to a recycling centre that accepts them.
Spring garden
March brings some sunny days to tempt gardeners back into the garden. This is the month for sowing seeds and getting the garden ready for the summer months, which includes a general tidy up and some essential pruning. Pruning is not only therapeutic for plants, but gardeners as well – getting rid of all that dead wood and preparing for new growth and flowers. You need to remove dead, diseased or damaged stems from roses. Shrubs and climbers will also need pruning to encourage good, healthy growth. Seed-sowing should be at the top of your ‘to do’ list at the moment. Give seeds soil that is wet and warm enough and off they go, and the bigger the seed, the deeper it needs to be in the soil to germinate. Some seeds can be sown direct into the ground, such as vegetables, while some prefer to be in seed trays and a slighter warmer environment to be given a good fighting chance. For a bit of instant colour, think about a hanging basket. A simple garden solution for March is to create your own hanging basket in the colour scheme of your choice, mixing hardy annuals with small evergreen shrubs for all-yearround interest.