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As spring arrives your garden will be slowly awakening and starting to bloom, which is why now is the time to get your garden jobs done. And who better to instruct you in those jobs than King Charles’ senior gardener?
While garden trends come and go, there are always tasks that need to be done every year like clockwork, from weeding and knowing what to prune in March to tidying up your potting beds. So when it comes to springtime, what tasks should you be prioritising to sort your garden out and where to begin ahead of the warmer months?
Senior gardener for King Charles’ Highgrove Gardens, Jack Stooks, has shared the five tasks you should be getting done this spring to prepare both you and your garden for long summer evenings and bountiful vegetable harvests.
Royal gardener’s advice for spring gardens: 5 essential jobs
Whether you know all the easy gardening tips that every gardener should know or are still learning how to care for your plants, some simple tasks should be done every spring to get the best out of your garden.
Jack says there are several steps that you can take right now to ensure your garden is as clean and tidy as possible for when you’re finally ready to venture outside again when the warmer weather approaches.
As a private garden designer and a senior gardener who has worked at the Highgrove Gardens for King Charles III for over 20 years where he has picked up his horticultural knowledge and expertise in gardening. He also works for The Princes Foundation at Highgrove.
1. Tidy up borders and flower beds
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For those of you looking for tips on how to transform your garden on a budget, simply cleaning up your grass borders and flower beds can make a huge difference aesthetically.
“If you haven’t already, cut back all your herbaceous perennial or dead plants from the winter. If any weeds are obvious, you can dig all those weeds out and cover the garden with a thick mulch,” says Jack.
Jack points out that mulch is usually something that’s used before winter to protect plants, however, should you have forgotten to do this then mulching your borders or any sort of feeding will need to be done before spring properly arrives.
As for your flower beds, Jack says, “Now might also be a good time to focus on pruning roses. Cut back your roses to where you want them to go from, take back the deceased and dying flowers, clear the borders out, then give them a manure feed using well-rotted manure.”
2. Give your garden furniture a spring clean
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After months of being stored away you might be hesitant to even look at your weathered outdoor furniture but giving it a good spring clean is an important step in prepping your garden space for use.
Just make sure your items are not one of the things you should never pressure wash in your garden before you attack them with the hose.
Jack explains, “It’s always good to ensure any garden furniture or glass houses are cleaned ahead of spring and summer. If you have a glass house, it’s worth getting the jet washer out to make sure the glass is clean and ready for early vegetables and select potatoes.”
Whilst you’ve got your pressure washer out why not tackle your driveways, paths and metal benches? Do this sooner than later, then when you go out to enjoy the sun in the summer months you’ll be met with clean inviting furniture and not moss-covered seats!
While tending to the furniture it might be worth considering how to clean outdoor cushions and cleaning outdoor rugs to refresh your entire outdoor living room set-up.
3. Compost and organise
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Bring some sustainable garden ideas into your outdoor space with composting techniques and make the most of what you already have through organising. Whether you already know how to use tea bags in your garden or not, having a compost bin is an easy start for a more eco-efficient garden.
“If you’ve got your own compost area, you might want to get that out and use it now, as well as any branches that need to be put through the shredder,” suggests Jack. “After they’ve been put through the shredder, it’s a good time to start laying the branches on any borders or around bigger trees.”
If you’re starting vegetable gardening for beginners then Jack also points out that now is the best time to start on early vegetables, especially now the weather is getting warmer. Planting veggies like potatoes, tomatoes and onions will ensure you have an impressive harvest at the end of summer.
4. Plant new flowers
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When it comes to all the alluring plants that liven up your garden, choosing some vibrant flowers to add to your space is an easy and rewarding choice. Jack says heading to your garden centre to see what’s on offer is a good start when planning what to plant from March onwards.
“Garden centres will start getting their new flowers around this time. Most of them will have started to bloom, so if people haven’t already bought their bulbs and put them into the ground, they’ll get to see exactly what you’re buying,” he explains.
The best part about UK-based garden centres, says Jack, is that they will provide and sell the plants that people are wanting as they’re coming up and coming into season.
As for planting the flowers, Jack suggests waiting to see what spring plants start shooting up and then you can see what gaps need filling as well as being able to rearrange your flowers should you want to.
5. Make full use of your local garden centre
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It’s not just flowers, bulbs and shrubs that your local garden centre will have on offer, Jack also says that more often than not tools will be on sale too. Great if your trowels and rakes are getting a little rusty or broken.
“As well as plants, it’s always a good opportunity to get down to the garden centre to see what tools are available or on offer. You may have broken your rake last year and need it replaced,” explains Jack.
If you’re into the rewilding trend and are looking to welcome some more wildlife into your garden then Jack points out that purchasing birdseed now is a great idea as birds will start popping up more looking for food.
Whilst these tasks might not seem that transformative, having a good clean and tidy of your outdoor space can completely change the vibe and have you excited to head into the garden for summer.
Cleaning and prepping your garden is also a really cost-effective way of making your house look more expensive from the outside, as it will not only look great immediately but also your plants will thrive more because of it.
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