March 20 marked the first official day of spring, which means that winter is finally over and the sun’s ready to make a comeback. Not everyone loves the summer – too hot, too much sunburn, too much sweat, too much skin on display – but most of us are in unanimous agreement that spring is one of the absolute best times of year. From blue skies to green grass to blossom on the trees, it’s a glorious time to be living on this earth – and if you like to spend time outside in your garden then you’re probably thinking about what you should be doing to prepare your yard for summer BBQs and parties and fun outside. Here are some tips to start you off…
Add A Pool
If you’ve been thinking about making some big renovations in your back yard, now is the time. There’s no more frozen ground and it’ll be ready in time for you to enjoy it in the summer, so if you’ve wanted a pool for a long time and you have space for it, now is the time to seriously consider getting one installed. Make sure that you talk to plenty of different companies to get quotes on how much it should cost, or work with a landscape designer to create one that’s a good fit for your back yard.
Improve Your Soil Quality
This is the time of year when you’re thinking about planting new flowers and vegetables so it’s important that you have good quality soil in your back yard. One great way to do that is to add mulch, which is a layer of material added to the top of your soil that aims to conserve moisture, improve the fertility of the soil, and inhibit the growth of weeds. It’s usually made of organic materials and you can buy it from your local garden centre or landscaping store, or order it online at a site like mulchhq.com. Make sure you do plenty of research first to find out what’s best for you and your circumstances.
Plant Your Perennials
If you haven’t done much gardening before then chances are, you’re wondering what a perennial actually is. It’s a long-lived plant that should live in your garden for longer than two years, which means that perennial plants tend to be hardy and to make up the basis of your herbaceous borders. You can go for grasses, which tend to be evergreen, or deciduous, which change with the seasons. Go for fragrant lavender, pretty geraniums, and colorful phlox to brighten up your garden.
Sow Your Vegetables
Finally, it’s time to sow your seasonal vegetables. One of the most satisfying things you can do is to make meals from fruits and vegetables that you’ve grown yourself, whether that’s making strawberry jam, apple pies or even eating fresh sweet baby tomatoes from your greenhouse. In spring you can plant vegetables like onions, beetroots, peas, broad beans, lettuce and cabbage, and a little later in spring you can start tending to fruits like strawberries.
