March is here, bringing with it warmer temperatures, more sunshine and an abundance of greenery. Follow these tips for transforming your garden in time for spring so that your outdoor space is the ideal environment to celebrate the season.
Refresh painted fences
Chances are you’ve neglected your garden during the winter, and your woodwork is looking a little forlorn. Kick off your garden transformation by refreshing the paint on your fencing so that it looks as good as new!
It’s best to pick a day with neutral weather to do this – think overcast but dry and around 10°C. Avoid bright sunlight or rain and extreme hot or cold temperatures as these could ruin your paint and leave you with an undesirable finish.
Make sure to choose paint that is designed for outdoor use as this is more resistant to bad weather, and favour oil-based paints and resins over water-based options to avoid the colour just absorbing into the wood.
Clean garden furniture
Especially if you leave it exposed to the elements all winter, your garden furniture may have become dirty, damaged or stained. Use warm soapy water and a stiff brush to clean it thoroughly all over, paying special attention to the visible areas.
Wooden furniture may have started to rot, especially around the legs which can easily become waterlogged. The best method for repairing rotted wood is to remove as much of the rot as possible, allow the area to dry, and then seal the remaining wood with a strengthening preservative like Ronseal.
Maximise storage
Next, it’s time to get organised and maximise your storage space ahead of the busy planting season. Declutter your shed and garage to ensure easy access to your spring and summer garden essentials such as outdoor furniture and important equipment like the lawnmower.
If you’re skilled at DIY, you can invest in tools like a battery chainsaw and planks of wood to build boxes that are the perfect size and shape for your space. These can be used to store equipment indoors or for decorative displays in the garden showcasing your new bulbs and seedlings.
Plant summer flowers
Your spring bulbs will be starting to bloom already, but don’t let this distract you from planting summer flowers. Your summer bulbs and flowers need plenty of time to establish themselves so early spring planting is essential if you want to achieve a seamless transition between the seasons.
The best time to plant your perennials in beds and borders is April when the hard frosts seem at an end and the days are longer and lighter. Summer flowering bulbs should be planted even earlier, preferably in March so that they emerge for the start of the season.