EASTER MAKEOVER
Just follow our simple six-point guide to restore your plot to its glorious best
THE long Easter weekend is upon us – the time when thousands of us traditionally take a good look at our gardens, shake our heads in dismay – and roll up our sleeves to sort things out.
Beds, borders, ponds and lawns are all in need of a pick-me-up after months of neglect and bad weather. Fortunately, even the most run-down plot can be restored with a bit of elbow grease. Here’s my guide to six spring jobs that will give your garden an instant lift and prepare it for the season ahead.
BORDER RESCUE
DON’T despair if your beds and borders are nothing more than a blanket of soil peppered with decaying stems, faded seed heads and overgrown clumps of perennials. Lick them into shape by cutting back any seed heads left for winter interest. Prune deciduous grasses back to within a few inches of the soil, avoiding new growth. Once the coast is clear, hoick out any weeds.
Left to their own devices, hostas, achillea, hardy geraniums, sedum and many other perennials will become congested. Invigorate tired clumps by prising them from the ground and dividing into several smaller pieces – discard any dead growth at the centre. Dig over the soil and replant as soon as possible to prevent roots drying out. A magnificent display of summer colour will end prematurely if plants are buffeted by wind or rain, or buckle under the weight of flowers. To prevent this happening, put in canes, pea sticks or purpose-built plant support stakes to support perennials. Finish by watering the border and mulching with a 3in layer of garden compost, bark chippings or leafmould.
INJECT SOME COLOUR
FEW gardens greet the arrival of spring with a floral spectacle. If your display is lacklustre at this time of year, get your mitts on some early-flowering bedding plants to inject instant colour. Pots of primroses, polyanthus, daisies, violas, pansies and cyclamen are widely available in garden centres, along with ready-grown bulbs, such as daffodils, tulips and hyacinths – perfect if you forgot to plant bulbs last autumn. Use them to brighten up pots, window boxes and hanging baskets, or to plug gaps at the front of beds and borders. Remove fading blooms regularly to stop plants setting seed – this will ensure they continue to produce flowers well into spring and prevent displays coming to a premature end.
Transform larger patches of bare soil by sowing hardy annuals. Lovein-a-mist, larkspur, Californian poppies and many others will romp away, providing your garden with colour from late spring until the end of summer. Either sow seeds in shallow drills, or mark out a Paisley-style pattern with sand. Make drills in each section, then sow a different flower in each. Cover with soil and water well.
SORT OUT SHRUBS
MANY shrubs have taken a battering over the past few months. Strong winds can break branches, while frost can cause shoot tips to blacken, wither or die back. Remove damaged growth with secateurs, cutting back to healthy buds – this will encourage new shoots to grow and prevent dieback spreading down the stem. Frost damage is obvious on evergreen plants, but can be more difficult to spot on deciduous shrubs. If in any doubt, wait until the plant is fully in leaf before removing any dead growth. After pruning, give plants a boost by scattering balanced fertiliser granules around the base, working them gently into the soil with a rake.
PERK UP PONDS
GIVE your pond a good clean if it’s full of smelly sludge, weeds and murky water. Bail out the water with a bucket, remove pond plants and carefully scrape the silt off the bottom with a spade, taking care not to damage the liner. Scrub with a stiff brush to dislodge dirt and algae. Remove any waste and refill with clean water.
Water irises, Japanese rush, dwarf reed and many other aquatic perennials will be shy to flower if congested. Rejuvenate by carefully lifting containers from the water, removing the rootball and splitting into several smaller pieces. Most plants can be tugged apart by hand, but use a knife if roots are held tightly together. Repot a section in the same container using fresh aquatic compost.
Add new plants if your pond is looking a little empty. Aim to cover about a third of the surface with foliage, using a combination of floating aquat- ics, submerged oxygenating plants and water lilies, along with a vibrant selection of marginal plants grown in the shallow water around the edges.
REJUVENATE LAWNS
DEAD grass, weeds and moss can build up in lawns over time, forming a thick layer known as thatch. Apart from hindering the growth of grass and creating the perfect conditions for diseases to flourish, this mat of debris prevents water from reaching the roots. Remove the material with a spring-tined rake. Draw it backwards and forwards lightly to pull out the detritus.
Heavy foot traffic can result in the soil under lawns compacting. Spike affected parts of the lawn with a garden fork – drive it into the ground vertically and wiggle it about to open up drainage channels. Repeat this every 6in, then spread some sharp sand over the ground and work into the holes with a broom.
Tired-looking lawns can be given a pick-me-up with a granular or liquid fertiliser. These formulations are high in nitrogen, which will help insipid lawns turn back to a healthy green and boost new growth. Spread the lawn fertiliser evenly to avoid patchy results and to prevent grass scorching due to a build up of granules.
TREAT STRUCTURES
BREATHE new life into fences, decks and wooden garden structures that are looking worse for wear. Scrub or use a pressure washer on a low setting to clean surfaces and allow to dry naturally, which can take several days. Once it’s completely dry, give it one or two coats of wood preservative, paint or oil. Metal gates, fences and railings look unsightly if they’re covered in rust. Remove with wire wool, sandpaper or a wire brush, then apply rust converter liquid. Finish by covering with paint suitable for metal.