Tips for a Tidy Garden All Year Round

Gardens are glorious places regardless of their size. Whether you’re rocking a back yard with a few planters and pots or you’re rolling around in your own meadow, there’s always something to do, see or marvel at.

If you always seem to start the summer with good intentions but somehow your garden still ends up a jungle, here are some tips to help you be the boss of your outdoor spaces.

Don’t Neglect the Front

Unless you’re a really keen gardener, the areas you don’t visit often can end up getting neglected. Certain garden layouts mean you bypass your front garden all the time, such as driving past the garden area to get to the garage at the back, then using the back door to enter the house. Every so often you’ll catch sight of a mess of weeds and litter at the front and wonder how you managed to miss it.

Turn this area into a low maintenance garden, maybe with paving or gravel and potted plants. Then all that’s needed is to take water to the pots and, while you’re there, pick up any litter that’s blown in. Regularly sweeping any paving will also help deter weeds.

Extend Storage Ideas into the Garden

Just like indoors, storage for outdoor tools and equipment is important. When gardening time is limited, you’ll feel more motivated to water the plants when you can immediately lay your hand on the hose or watering can.

Likewise with leisure equipment, such as barbecues or gear for garden sports and games. It’s no fun digging through a mound of stuff in the shed to reach an item right at the back.

Because it’s not practical to store garden equipment in the house, one solution is storage unit hire. With gardens being such seasonal areas, it makes sense to store out of season items away from the area of activity. Put all the winter outdoor things in storage over summer, and vice versa during the winter, including your expensive furnishings and barbecues.

Aside from the larger machines that hog space in the shed, you can also use self storage rooms to keep items such as heated propagators. You may use them frequently early in the year to get a jump start on spring germination, but after that they’re just taking up valuable space in the greenhouse or shed.

Learn About Plants’ Seasonal Needs

Pruning, harvesting, deadheading and trimming at the right time can all help keep the garden looking its best all year round.

There’s a wealth of good information online about caring for plants, and by learning about the needs of the ones you’re growing you can extend their flowering time, prepare them properly for winter, and ensure they’ll be at their best for the following year.

Once you’ve learned what your individual plants need, it’s easier to stay on top of routine care, keeping them healthy and looking tidy.

Use All the Helpers You Can

When you’ve got the weeds out of flower beds, a layer of mulch such as well-rotted compost or even bark chippings will help prevent them regrowing. It will also help improve the soil and protect roots during the cold winter months.

If you love the look of grass but hate the upkeep, why not put down a false lawn? There are some very realistic ones around that don’t look or feel too plastic. They’re not totally maintenance-free, but at least they don’t need mowing or fertilising. Or you could get creative with grass, such as turning your garden around by having the lawn around the edge and the planted area in the middle. Grass can need a bit of help sometimes and MOOWY Grass seed, can help give your grass that helping hand.

If you don’t want to deal with grass at all, don’t. Choose gravel or paved paths interspersed with planted areas and places for seating. Build raised beds, water features, or plant trees for height and structure. Your garden will look beautiful and just as green without a lawn.

Make a List of Jobs to Do

Maybe there are big jobs you’d like to tackle, such as painting fences or sheds, or maybe you’d just like to be more organised about working in the garden. Check garden gates and doors to ensure the hinges are secure and working as they should.

Making a list helps you create a schedule, so you can keep on top of maintenance while still leaving time for the rest of your life.

Have lists and schedules for sowing, such as to keep the family in salad leaves, or for routine tasks like sweeping and weeding. You can make a personal garden calendar to remind yourself when to plant, when to prune, or when to stake or tie in plants that need support.

If you’re new to gardening, start gradually with one area at a time, keeping notes on various plants and how they respond. Expand your knowledge gradually to grow your horticultural expertise. Use all the helpers you need from faux lawns to self storage, to help keep the area tidy and managed, and pretty soon you’ll have a garden to be proud of all year round.