8 ways to get your garden ready for summer

8 ways to get your garden ready for summer

and, at the same time, increase the value of your home!

Rejoice! Longer nights and warmer days are on the way, and we’re all dreaming of spending more time outdoors. But how is your garden looking?

Ahh, springtime – sipping a drink in the sunshine and basking in the glory of your spruced up garden. Is there anything better? As the winter months wind down, now is the ideal time to plan both garden and home renovations.

Getting the garden dressed to impress is also a big part of selling your home. You want the first impressions to fill the buyer with joy, not dread. Particularly at a time of year when people are looking for outdoor space, getting your garden in shape could really give you an advantage over other sellers – and even boost your home's value. 

Spruce up what you already have

One of the most straightforward ways to get your garden ready for spring is by making sure it’s in a good condition. Before planning any bigger projects, take time to ensure any smaller repairs are sorted. Weeding, mowing the lawn, checking fences for damage, cutting back bushes, and power-washing patios and driveways are all great ways of making sure your garden is a nicer place to be when the better weather arrives.

Consider a herb garden

Growing your own produce is a great way of making your garden feel more like home, living more sustainably and livening up your cooking and cocktails. You only need to dedicate a small corner of your garden to growing herbs, like mint, basil and parsley, but the fresh aromas can help enhance your mood and any food and drink you’re planning to enjoy al fresco. 

Make the most of the weather by adding more light

Adding more lighting to your garden is a great way to maximise the time you can spend outside and create an inviting and cosy atmosphere. Consider hanging fairy lights and installing solar panel lights to brighten up your garden to extend BBQs and get-togethers once the sun has gone down. 

Get some shade

‘I like it hot, but this is too hot…’ We’ve all heard someone say it. This is why you should add some shade to your garden, whether it’s with a parasol or by fitting an awning. If, like us, you can’t get enough of plants, why not try a trellis or pergola? These take a little more time to develop than popping up a parasol, but combining a trellis with some climbing plants is a great way of adding some shade to your garden. Adding a trellis to your garden can also benefit your outdoor dining experiences too. Just imagine sitting under a beautiful climbing plant getting some shade on a warm day while you enjoy a bite to eat or something to drink. 

Add some colour with plants and pots

Spring is a bright and light time of year, so make sure your garden reflects this. Paint plant pots, use scatter cushions on outdoor furniture and get some bright flowers planted. If you have limited space, consider growing sunflowers – what they lack in width they more than make up for in height. Geraniums, pansies, tulips and daylilies are all low-maintenance plants that offer a high return in colour and vibrancy – perfect for spring. Having a garden in full bloom is also a sure-fire way to impress anyone taking a tour of your home, so ensure this is on your to-do list. 

Paint it black

While brightening up the place with beautiful plants, consider painting fences and sheds black to ensure they don’t stand out. By doing this, you’re helping the things you don’t want to draw attention to stay in the background – so your plants can take centre stage. 

Use old furniture

Housing your plants in the same generic plant pot can get boring, so why not change things up and revitalise old furniture. Why not transform an old sink into a planter or give a tired dressing table a fresh lick of paint and a new lease of life?

Welcome wildlife

A great spring project, particularly if you have children, could be to entice more wildlife into your garden. You could install birdhouses, feeders or tables to encourage the local birds to come and visit, or how about digging gaps in the bottom of fences to allow hedgehogs to stop by on their travels?

What’s next? 

Before getting green-fingered, consider whether you want your garden to follow a specific theme or colour. Another benefit to getting green-fingered and completing garden work is that it can increase how much your home’s worth. In fact, landscaping your garden could increase the property’s value. So, even if your spring is a total washout, you can be happy in the knowledge you could have added some extra digits to your property’s value.

Considering selling your home?