If you have recently purchased your very first home, this might be the first time you encounter gardening, which is part and parcel of home ownership. For some, it is a welcome addition to life, while others see gardening as a chore that has to be done. We hope that you are the type of person who loves to be close to nature and with that in mind, here is a guide to the basics of garden maintenance.
Acquiring tools
Of course, a gardener is only as good as their tools and for a basic kit, you need the following:
- Wheelbarrow – For carrying stuff around the garden.
- Spade, fork & shovel – These 3 implements are regularly used when gardening.
- Rake –Used for removing leaves and grass cuttings, a rake can also be used to level the soil and effectively remove stones and other debris.
- Stiff broom – When you have finished your garden maintenance, the broom cleans the paths, patio, and driveway.
- Pruning shears – Pruning is necessary with most shrubs and trees; you can order pruning shears online, plus techniques can be found, simply Google the species.
- Pruning saw – A long pole with a short sawblade attached at one end, which is used to prune trees.
- Grass cutting equipment – If you have large grassed areas, invest in one of the John Deere ride on mowers that stand the test of time. When you consider how much it costs to have the grass cut by a local landscape gardener, it is a wise move to invest in a ride on mower, which is great fun to operate. Cutting the grass will quickly become a favorite chore that the whole family will volunteer for.
- Strimmer – An optional extra that trims the grass along walls, fences, and the bottom of trees; a strimmer can easily clean an area of vegetation and great care should be taken when using the tool. Wearing eye protection is recommended when using any power tool. Click here for information about tempered glass doors that bring a lot of natural light into the home.
Gardening is seasonal
Nature is amazing and every plant changes as the seasons pass; there is a time for pruning, which is usually done in the spring months. If you are planning to plant things, this is best done in spring and you can find planting details online. In the cooler winter months, the grass doesn’t grow and you won’t need to cut for a few months.
The last cut of the year should be as winter approaches and the cut should be a little higher than usual. For a small lawn, a pushed mower with a single rotary blade is fine, while larger properties need ride-on mowers; grass cuttings can be put into your compost heap which can nourish the flower beds.
Garden maintenance tasks
Keeping the average garden in good condition should be a weekly affair; put the tools in the wheelbarrow and start with weeding the flower beds, leaving a pile of leaves, twigs, and other debris. Some people put wood shavings on the flower beds to prevent weeds from growing and mulch should be added during spring.
Here are typical garden maintenance tasks:
- Weeding borders
- Cutting the grass
- Trimming the lawn edges
- Pruning trees and shrubs
- Trimming hedges
- Removing dead branches
- Sweeping driveways, paths, and the terrace
You should check that all is well with trees, shrubs, and plants and remove any dead or damaged wood the wheelbarrow is used to ferry the green waste to the far corner of the garden. A final sweep up and your garden look tidy and appealing.
Local garden maintenance services
Many homeowners don’t have the time for gardening, so they hire a local gardener to pop around once a week and keep things looking good. You can decide how often you want them to come; some prefer a weekly or bi-weekly, while others opt for a monthly visit.
They will trim the hedges, prune the trees, mow the lawns, and remove all waste for a small fee. Garden care services are widely available and a Google search will put you in touch with a local company.
Creating garden features
Most homeowners look to add features in their outdoor living space; some you can manage, while others are best left to the professionals. How about a nice natural-looking rockery with a small stream?
This is easy to create; a few yards of topsoil, stones, and rocks, with flora and fauna to suit your tastes, could lead to a fishpond where a few Koi Carp reside. Your garden wouldn’t be complete without a terrace, which you can build from timber or natural stone pavers and this can be your rest and relaxation area.
Gardening relaxes many people and once you have a good set of tools in the shed, you can spend time at the weekends keeping your garden looking neat and tidy.
