I was very lucky as a child. My parents loved gardening and encouraged me and my siblings by giving us our own patches to look after.
And they taught us practical skills, like how to mow the lawn, dig a border, clear weeds and plant up pots. Not forgetting how to use a drill and hammer and nails.
These skills have stood me in good stead and I hope I’ll pass them onto my children.
I think it’s important that people don’t shy away from looking after their garden, and while you may not want to start growing, doing some basic tasks will make your garden a nice place to enjoy.
Here’s some tips to get you up to speed with common garden jobs.
1 Boost the lawn
Getting a lush green lawn is not as difficult as people think. Feeding a lawn is the key to strong green grass. Feed in spring and summer to boost the leafy growth and in autumn for strong root growth.
Lawns can go brown when they don’t get enough water, but you can keep them looking fresh without turning on the sprinkler. Simply, don’t cut the lawn too short. If long periods of dry weather are forecast, raise the blades on your lawnmower to about 2 inches high.
2 Dig over the soil
The secret to a successful garden is to look after your soil. Dig it over with a fork or spade before you plant anything new to help its structure. Turn over the soil to a spade’s depth and add some compost for extra goodness.
3 Water well
Properly hydrated plants will give you a rich and colourful display, so watering the garden properly is vital.
Make sure all the plants are fully hydrated. A good trick is to aim the shower spray at the base of the plant and count to 20 – deep watering is better than little and often.
4 Grow evergreens
Keep your garden low-maintenance with evergreens. These are plants that keep their leaves through the winter, making sure the garden doesn’t look bare.
Try euonymus, escallonia, photinia and pyracantha. I also love conifers, which come in a huge range of colours from blues and greens to gold.
5 Clean garden furniture
Keep your patio furniture in good condition by cleaning it in spring. It’s simple. Put a bit of washing-up liquid in a bowl with some warm water and wipe down the furniture to get rid of dirt build-up.
6 Pull weeds young
two labour worn man hands weeding the weeds outdoor close shot
Pull out any weeds by hand, making sure to keep the roots as intact as possible. You can use a trowel to help lift the weeds out or water the soil before weeding to make it easier to pull them out. Throw them away or burn them – don’t put weeds on the compost heap.
If you’re planting a new border, give plants a boost with a general-purpose fertiliser. It contains extra nutrients to encourage plants to get established. Fork some Growmore fertiliser granules into the soil before planting.
8 Pots and containers
Get bright, colourful pots and containers with seasonal bedding, such as geraniums and petunias. They are inexpensive plants that flower for months on end. Fill a pot with compost and plant them. Remember to water regularly, especially in warm weather.
9 Pruning
Pruning plants can’t be easier. We prune plants to keep them in shape and to encourage strong new growth. The simple rule is to cut out the three Ds: dead, damaged and diseased branches. Also, remove any branches that cross over each other, and aim for a symmetrical, balanced shape.
10 Clean the patio
Clean the patio before you start using it regularly in summer. Simply brush in a patio cleaner and disinfectant and spray it off with a strong jet of water to lift any dirt and algae. Then brush some kiln-dried sand over the top to fill any cracks and stop weeds from taking over.
You can master practical gardening tasks for yourself, and it gives you such a good feeling of accomplishment!
The flowers may take centre stage at the Chelsea Flower Show, but foliage is a garden design hero. It makes the perfect backdrop to emphasise other plants and adds texture and greenery to your garden.
Great foliage can turn a nice border into a really special one. Here’s some great leafy colour from the Chelsea Flower Show.
Podophyllum Versipelle Spotty Dotty
This unusual plant has fleshy, speckled leaves in a maple tree shape. It’s great for low-growing interest in a woodland garden.
Heuchera ‘Fire Chief’
I love this deep red heuchera – it has autumnal leaves and tiny pinky white flowers on tall spires.
Athyrium Niponicum var. Pictum
Also known as a Japanese painted fern. It has a metallic finish that would suit a contemporary garden. It grows best in shade.
Hosta Undulata Mediovariegata
A great compact hosta to brighten any shade garden. I love the strong white streaks down the centre of the curly leaves. Who says greenery has to be green?
Pieris Flaming Silver
This is a lovely evergreen shrub. The new foliage is a pinky colour that gradually turns green. The older leaves develop a silvery edge.
Lagurus ovatus
Also known as hare’s tail, this grass has fluffy seed heads. It’s great for texture, height and movement in a border. Plant it in full sun.
Gold tipped oregano
This will add interest to your herb garden! It’s a lovely yellow-green oregano with decorative leaves. It will also produce soft pinky flowers during summer, but it’s the leaves that steal the show.
Physiocarpus ‘Lady in Red’
A striking deciduous shrub with reddish purple leaves. It also produces little round flower heads filled with tiny pink blooms. Great for some darker colour in the garden.
Brachyglottis Drysdale
I love tactile plants, and this one is crying out to be touched! It has soft leaves in a silvery colour. It makes a great backdrop for brightly coloured flowers, including these on-trend orange ones!
Cornus alternifolia Argentea
This is also known as silver pagoda dogwood. It has stunning variegated leaves and white flowers. It also produces black berries in autumn, making it a great shrub for year-round interest.
Orange plants were a big trend at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. They add a bright zing to any garden border and look great planted alongside other ‘hot’ colours like red and yellow.
To make such a bold colour work in your own garden, buy a few of the same plants and repeat them through the border.
This striking plant has rich orange petals and deep black foliage. It would make a great talking point and give depth to a border.
Tulip Ballerina
I love these pointy petals – they look like flames. Perfect for adding some spring colour to your garden.
Primula Bulleyana
These delicate orange flowers will bloom for months on end in the garden. They are ideal for window boxes and other containers, and give good height to rock gardens.
Rose ‘Easy Does It’
This lovely orange rose has deep shiny leaves. The flowers start off red, and fade through orange and apricot to end a light pink shade. Stunning.
Alstroemeria Flame
Fantastic speckled petals give this plant a real wow-factor. Alstroemeria are great as cut flowers too.
Nasturtium Tropaeolum Majus Alaska
A mix of nasturtium colours, from yellow and orange to a deeper red. It has lovely variegated foliage and the flowers are edible too!
Libertia Ixioides ‘Goldfinger’
This is a striking grass for something a little different in the garden. It will add texture to a border and make a great backdrop for warm-toned flowers.
Begonia Jessica
This begonia bears huge orange flowers with silky petals. It’s a real showstopper and should be given pride of place in the garden.
Dahlia Ludwig Helfert
What a fantastic flower! I love the slim petals – they look like flames licking up into the air. I also love any plant with a name as fun as this one.
