Spring cleaning your garden is an essential first step when it comes to preparing for the year ahead. A simple way to tidy your garden is neatening beds and borders for the growing season, removing weeds, and applying a good layer of mulch over the surface with organic compost.
There is a whole new range of Dobbies’ own brand gardening tools in store, priced from £4.99, which will help with those spring cleaning sessions. Nigel also recommends cleaning any slabs or decking in preparation for getting your garden furniture back out.
Spring is the ideal time to get your beds and borders in shape for the warmer months. In early spring, once you have removed weeds, trim back any winter flowering plants where blooms have started to fade and prune summer flowering shrubs like buddleia, lavatera, and hardy fuschias to allow room for new growth.
One of the most enjoyable spring gardening jobs is planting. Nigel notes however, that the time to do so will depend on weather. Gardeners in southern parts of Scotland will likely be able to start spring planting earlier than those further north, as planting summer bulbs should be done when all risk of frost has passed.
When soil warms up in late spring, most gardeners will be able to plant summer flowering bulbs like Dobbies’ new-in dahlias, lilies, and gladioli. Dobbies has a brand new range of summer flowering bulbs which are in store now, priced £4.99. There is even an exclusive bulb, Dahlia ‘Bright Eyes'.
Now is a wonderful time to plant fruit and vegetables for a summer harvest and Nigel advises that a lot of produce can be grown inside from seed and then planted outdoors in spring once temperatures warm up.
Dobbies’ new grow your own seed range includes Spinach 'Medania', Basil 'Serrata', Chinese cabbage, Spring onions, and radish. These can be bought now and grown indoors, in a greenhouse, or on a windowsill, before being planted outside in late spring, with prices from just £1.99. They also have an amazing new line of indoor grow lights, priced from £16.99, to help your seeds get the best start.
To enjoy instant colour in your garden this spring, Nigel recommends refreshing your pots, hanging baskets, and window boxes with early season pansies and spring flowering heathers. Bluebells in pots and Ribes sanguineum, or flowering currants, can also be planted in late spring for a country garden effect. Select plants and pots that will complement your garden living look.
Depending on the weather, early spring is the time to get the ground ready for sowing a lawn. Nigel says before you do anything make sure any debris is cleared from the area. As we get into spring and the weather heats up, you can also begin to rake out moss and dead grass.
If you’re looking to feed your lawn, Gro-Sure Fast Acting Lawn Seed, £9.99, can be used for early sowing and germinates in as low as 7 degrees.
Spring is the perfect time to welcome wildlife into your garden as small animals come out of hibernation and new birds hatch into life.
To ensure your garden is a safe space for wildlife, Nigel suggests dedicating a small section of your garden to creating a wildlife-friendly habitat with pollinating plants and places for small animals and insects to shelter. You can create a safe space for them by stacking branches in a shaded spot to help protect them from the elements.
Spring is a fantastic time to collect rainfall in water butts for the warmer months, and Dobbies has a range of interconnecting water butts so you can maximise rainfall in your garden. Sheds, greenhouses, or garages can be used to collect water and conserve it for next summer as long as it has gutters and a down pipe to a drain at ground level. Doing this will help you reduce water usage in the event of a long dry spell in the summer and Nigel notes that rainwater is actually better for young plants and seeds as it has a low pH and no chemicals, unlike water from the mains.
Now you’ve got your garden looking in good shape, it’s time to relax and enjoy it. Embrace a new garden look from one of Dobbies’ four new outdoor furniture themes: Shoreline Simplicity, inspired by soothing shores; Garden Retreat, with echoes of wild meadows and cut flowers; the Scandi-influenced, Relax and Unwind with its blue tones, or the vivid hues and striking designs of Colour Your Space.
Whether it’s foldable bistro sets and egg chairs, or contemporary dining and sofa sets, there’s something for every outdoor area, to help you create the garden living space that works for you.
For more spring gardening advice, and to find your nearest Dobbies store, visit www.dobbies.com.
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