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Your garden is a place that you should be able to go to for relaxation and tranquility. Whether you’re having your morning coffee while listening to birdsong or entertaining friends on a summer’s evening, your garden space is there to enjoy.
You may not be able to do that if all you see is a long to-do list every time you go outside. Maintaining a garden can feel like a full time job but it’s certainly one worth doing. Here are some simple maintenance tips that can help you to keep your garden looking clean and tidy all year round.
Manage Your Lawn
You’ve probably heard this tip a few times before but that’s because it’s important. When your lawn looks awful, the rest of your garden does too. In dry weather, ensure your lawn is watered when the sun goes down and the temperature drops.
Don’t make the mistake of mowing your lawn right down to the ground. Your grass should be at least 3 inches in length for it to collect vital moisture and nutrients. Without these, your grass could dry out and yellow more often than you expect.
Trim Hedges
Hedges are a great way to keep your garden area simple and easy to maintain. If you want a hedge that’s easy to manage, start looking for yew hedging. It grows around 30 cm per year so although it may take time to grow initially, it’s ideal for the purposes of easy maintenance.
Whether you use a hedge for decoration or bordering, it never looks out of place in any garden. Simply keep your hedge tidy with regular trimming throughout the year. You can do this in a variety of ways or hire a gardener to do it for you.
Remove Weeds
Weeds aren’t just unsightly. They’ll also take over your garden and kill your other plants if they’re left to grow. Whenever you see a weed growing in your garden, it’s essential that you pull it up from the root to completely kill it.
Weeds that grow between your patio tiles can be sprayed with a weed killer if they can’t be removed entirely. It’s not always easy to identify weeds as some can look similar to flowers. A good rule of thumb is to pull up anything that you haven’t planted yourself.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Pressure Wash Surfaces
It’s not uncommon for surface areas to become unclean and stained or covered in debris. The longer you leave these surfaces unclean, the harder it will be to restore them. Unclean surfaces will also attract pests.
For instance, flies like to gather around stagnant water and bugs love to hide in fallen debris. In addition, algae or wet leaves on surfaces can make them a slipping hazard for anyone who uses the garden. You can easily remove all of this with a pressure washer in a short space of time.
Stop Pests In Their Tracks
Garden pests can quickly make their way indoors if they aren’t stopped in their tracks. It’s important to check your garden regularly for any signs of pests. Small pests may leave holes in your plants or hide under debris on your lawn.
Rats may leave droppings in crevices around your property as an indication they’ve been there and may come back. Before any of these pests start to enter your home, it’s wise to call pest control and get your property inspected and treated.
Clean Garden Ornaments
The ornaments or decorations you choose for your garden help to add beauty and character. They will inevitably become dirty and mouldy over time. To keep your garden ornaments looking as good as when you purchased them, you’ll need to keep them clean.
Keeping them clean can help to stop them rusting and prolong their lifespan. It will also stop them from gathering water and becoming an attraction for pests. Water that gathers in ornaments can also start to smell if it isn’t removed.
Paint Touch-Ups
There are often many things to paint in a garden. Whether it’s a fence, a shed, a garage, or just the exterior walls of your home. Exterior paint tends to weather well but there will always be times when touch-ups are required.
The purpose of touch-ups isn’t just to keep things in perfect condition; it’s to make sure the problem doesn’t get bigger. For instance, flaking paint will often lead to more flaking paint if the source isn’t dealt with.
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