Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Time for a little Garden Spring Cleaning?

Just when you’ve shed those winter pounds and you’ve got your summer swimsuit body ready to put on a show (freak show in my case) it’s time to strip back the garden and get it looking its best for spring.

Prune back the winter flowerers

It’s the time of year to cut back the winter flowerers and deciduous trees. Prune away hibiscus, camellias and lasiandra and cut back frangipani’s. Check deciduous trees for dead wood and then give them a moderate pruning to give them strength and room to sprout in the coming weeks.

Gently trim back winter flowerers in the garden beds. Fuchsias, lavender, geraniums and even star jasmine can benefit from a trim now. Remove any dead annuals and test woody stemmed plants for signs of life.

Get rid of dead wood

It’s been a dry old winter, there may be a few casualties in the garden. Use a pen knife to score bark on sick trees, if there’s no sign of life, completely remove dead branches, prune the tree back and give it a good watering and some fertiliser. Ask your local nursery if it’s really struggling, they’ll have some advice, and no doubt products, to help it recover.

Mow, aerate, fertilise…..

It’s time to do that first mow after the winter respite and your lawn will love you for giving it a bit of aeration too. Hire an aerator from your local garden or hire shop or buy a mower attachment to do it automatically. It’s also time to fertilise and mulch and show the garden a bit of love. Replace your annuals with new colour and add a little spring to your garden!

Love is….a tidy garden shed.

After a few months cold weather, your shed might be bulging at its seams too. It’s time to get tidy and organised for the spring and summer ahead with a full shed clean out. Check expiry dates, chuck out the broken items and do a good sweep and muck out - you’ll feel like a new man (or woman). Don’t forget under the house too.

A family that cleans together….has to listen to the kids moan all day….

While you’re spring cleaning the garden and shed, why not get the whole family involved and get the house ready for a new season. Make two piles, charity and chuck out and call us in to take the lot away.