How to Spring Clean Your Garden and Patio
As the cold weather bites hard, we can gain some comfort from the fact that spring is just around the corner. The evenings are slowly getting longer, and that means we’re only a few months away from sunny evenings making the most of the garden.
Over the last few months, your garden will probably have been neglected, and you will almost certainly need to give it some tender loving care to make it a useable and enjoyable space for summer. Here are some of our best tips for garden and patio care.
Cleaning the Paving
Over winter, green mould can build up on paving slabs, making them slick and slippery. You can deal with this now, assuming you can brave the cold. We recommend using a good quality mould and moss remover several times and scrubbing the area with a hard outdoor brush. It makes sense to perform each treatment when rain is expected, since the rain will wash the cleaning product away.
Remember: some patio cleaners are dangerous to pets and children, so make sure the area is rinsed before allowing either to play outside. You could use a pressure washer on the patio instead, but avoid this option if you have any damaged slabs as the pressure of the water may make the problem worse.
Weeding
Weeding your garden in winter is very unpleasant, but tackling the issue now means your garden will be easier to tackle in spring. Avoid using your hands when it’s cold and wet, since you may end up with sore skin: instead, invest in a sharp trowel. Try to cut weeds out instead of ripping them up, since leftover roots can allow the weed to regrow.
Compost
Compost bins and wormeries are fantastic if you garden often and want to keep your soil fertile. In winter, your worms should have been wrapped up indoors or in a jacket, but you can bring the wormery back outside once temperatures start to rise again. If you use a compost bin, all of the leaves you collected at the end of last year should be nicely mulched down. Simply turn the compost occasionally to introduce air to the mix.
Furniture
Garden furniture can be damaged in all kinds of ways: accidental impact, rot or just wear and tear. If your furniture is looking a little worse for wear, it might be time to replace it. Consider an upgrade to a good solid wood set that will last longer, and invest in covers (or store your furniture indoors if you can).
Sheds and Outbuildings
It’s a good idea to check outbuildings after heavy rain to make sure the windows and doors are intact. On dry days, try to let the air circulate to stop the inside of the building feeling musty and damp. Drain any water that may have collected on the roof of your shed. Bigger outbuildings may also need to have the guttering checked as part of your annual inspection.
Ask For Our Help
Does this winter garden maintenance sound like hard work? HC Refurbishments can handle maintenance and refurbishment of any outdoor space. If you need help with any home improvement work and you live in the Surrey area, call us today on 0800 019 1277.
31 January 2014
