{This is a collaborative post}
It might be dark and gloomy outside right now, but it won’t
be long before the nights start to draw out again and the first signs of Spring
arrive. So, even though you might not be
spending much time outside now, it’s worth thinking about giving your garden a
refresh ready for spring, you'll want some glorious colour to cheer you up by then.
You might be nodding right now and thinking, yes this is
what I should be doing. If so, here are some ideas to help you along.
Lay a patio or deck
If you don’t have a patio or decked area in your garden,
this might be worth considering. It
creates a handy area for socialising, BBQs, and just having a quiet cuppa. When laying a patio
or decking, make sure you’ve planned enough space to accommodate things like
seating, plants and your BBQ. Or you might even want to install a hot tub to enjoy.
Create a pond or water feature
Water features have a nice calming effect and are always pleasing to look at. If you have time to create and maintain one, a pond is an excellent feature to have in the garden and you can enjoy the wildlife that a pond attracts too. But if you’re looking for something easier to manage, then a small water feature can work just as well, and they often add a very pleasant water trickle sound to your garden too.
Plant a wildflower garden
The planting of a wildflower garden will not only be good
for the environment but will give the garden a more natural feel. Manicured
lawns and pristinely ordered borders are nice enough, but lots of tall flowers
growing freely and adding a rainbow of colour can be even better. Especially if
you’re a bee!
Create a mini orchard
This might sound like an idea that requires a great deal of space,
but there are a lot of compact varieties of fruit trees that grow happily in
containers. This means you can have your own mini orchard of apples, plums,
cherries and pears. And if you like your
fruit, strawberry plants grow well in containers too. Just think how much money you'll save by growing your own tasty fruit.
Install a bird feeding station
Why not encourage birds into your garden with a bird feeding
station? As well as nut, fat and seed
feeders, make sure you have a birdbath so they have access to water. If you’re worried about squirrels stealing
all the food, look out for squirrel-proof feeders with cages fitted around
them.
I hope these ideas have got you feeling enthused about
spending some time out in your garden and getting it ready for spring. What ideas are you looking forward to trying?