Tips And Tricks To Get Your Garden Summer Ready With Katie Rushworth And Tesco

I have always enjoyed pottering around in the garden, we spend a lot of time in it as a family, so I like lots of colourful blooms to look at.  However I am always looking for ways to improve the garden, so when the lovely people at Tesco gardening came to my rescue, armed with gardening pro Katie Rushworth from ITV’s Love Your Garden, I was a teeny tiny bit excited!

I was very lucky to have been able to have a 30-minute phone call with Katie. She is such a lovely lady with oodles of gardening knowledge, she certainly knows her stuff.

Gardening Tips with Katie Rushworth

She gave me fantastic tips on how to make my garden less ‘open plan’ and turn it into different zones, with lots of different areas to walk into (which I’ve always wanted out of the garden). One way would be to break up the areas with trellis or willow screens. She suggested countless plants that I could use and adding more trees for height.

Another fab tip was to break up parts of the lawn with pathways, using bricks that match the old barn in the background.

Another problem area is where we have recently knocked down a shed and with the area being in shade all day, the ground is considerably soggy.

Kate suggested planting lots of boggy plants such as Silvia, primula and ligularia, which all thrive in shady conditions.

After receiving some sound advice from Katie Rushworth and some awesome goodies from Tesco, I can now get on with these projects and make my garden summer-ready. Here are some more top gardening tips to help you get the very best from your garden too.

 

Thank you @Tesco for my awesome #crate full of goodies! Just the trick for getting my garden summer ready. ?  it!  #spon

A post shared by ?Family Lifestyle Blogger? (@stickymudandbellylaughs) on May 28, 2017 at 10:14am PDT

Get Your Garden Summer Ready With Katie Rushworth

1. Plant out summer bedding, half-hardy annuals

Spring is the perfect time to dust off your trowel, get planting and give your garden some love. When you start, try to plant and stick to a colour theme throughout your containers and baskets. Maybe a mix of hot colours and the odd chilli plant thrown into your window box might spice things up. If you fancy something a little more ‘cottage garden’ in style then stick with pastel shades and add some herbs to the mix. Half-hardy annuals such as Cosmos, Zinnia, Cleome and Nicotiana can all be sown straight into the ground at this time of year and are fantastic colour fillers.

2. Pressure wash, or hose down and scrub

A great and easy way to get your garden looking its best is to get the pressure washer out and give that patio, path or deck some TLC. Just removing any dirt and moss from your seating area will instantly make your garden appear smarter.
They are also great for cleaning down garden furniture and children’s play equipment, often they look brand new again.
For expert tips on pressure washing, check out JennyChem for a step-by-step guide to cleaning your patio slabs effectively.

3. Paint a fence or wall

It’s a great time of year to treat any wood that is in the garden – spring offers slightly cooler days with a possible chance of sunshine (unpredictable English weather) so your fence/wall will have time to properly dry. Whether that be fencing, a shed, garden furniture, wooden planters or a children’s climbing frame – all will last longer if given some added protection against the elements, and it will also give them a new lease of life. If you’re feeling brave, add some colour! A brightly coloured wall can make a fantastic statement all year round, a steely grey coloured fence can add a contemporary feel.

4. Costs

Have a plan for your garden and stick to it. Keep an eye out for retailers and garden centres that will have a wide range of deals available in the lead up to the summer months. Tesco is offering some great deals on its garden range available, in-store now or visit online at tesco.com/direct/garden for more details and inspiration.

5. Lawn

Don’t forget to look after your lawn, as a freshly cut lawn makes all the difference. One of the top gardening mistakes Brits with a garden are committing is letting the lawn become unruly and overgrown. Make sure you remove any bare patches by getting rid of any dead grass and moss from the area. Then sprinkle some topsoil, followed by some lawn seed. A final fine dressing of topsoil will keep any wildlife from eating the seed as well as ensure that the seed comes into contact with the soil. Lightly water to prevent any of the seed from being disturbed. Of course, any gardening activity such as this has the potential to result in injuries of one type or another. So, you should look into Trinity Rehab for knee pain as needed. 

6. Stake and support plants

Any plants that you know need support to look their best will benefit if you visit your local retailer or garden centre and get those supports in now. Even if they are weeks from flowering and still have lots of growth to put on, getting those garden canes in now and tying things in is much easier to do when you don’t have to navigate excess foliage and other plants in flower. As the plant continues to grow it will also naturally disguise the canes or framework you have put in place and leave you with beautiful looking flowers.

7. Lighting

Garden lighting is often overlooked, but it can really extend the use of your garden and add ambience and atmosphere to any outdoor spaces. String lights always look fabulous and add a festival feeling, whilst clusters of lanterns on steps and tables add charm and elegance. Up lighting a tree can add drama and give the garden an evening focal point, as well as give that holiday feeling. Don’t forget the fire pit which also gives warmth as the evening draws in.

8. Hoe

According to Tesco’s research the most dreaded gardening job for over a third of adults with a garden is weeding. However, this task won’t seem so daunting if you find yourself a hoe (this is my favourite garden implement). It makes easy work of keeping on top of those weeds! On a dry day, slice the top of the weed off just below the surface of the soil. This will prevent the weed from photosynthesizing and the root will dry out and die. Sometimes the weed may eventually regrow, but this definitely weakens the plant so it is much less likely to make an appearance. For more persistent weeds, removing the whole root may be necessary. However intermediate hoeing can make weeding a much more manageable garden task.

9. Prune spring flowering shrubs

Any shrubs which have flowered this spring can be pruned now if they are getting too big and unruly. Tesco has found that people are not confident when it comes to pruning plants but this is really easy to do! Remove any dead or damaged growth first, then any growth which is weak or crossing over one another causing stems to rub together in a tangled mass. Always cut the branch on an angle and to a new outward-facing bud to increase air circulation. Shrubs can tolerate being cut back hard now, so removing half of the plant may seem brutal and look a little drastic, but it will recover over the summer months and reward you with lots of fresh new growth. Of course, some of us may have really large shrubs and trees that are just too daunting to tackle by ourselves and could possibly do with a little more maintenance. A quick search for https://www.thelocaltreeexperts.com will help you find a trained professional that will be able to tackle the larger jobs with ease.

10. Dress it

Cushions, throws and outdoor rugs are the finishing touches that really make your garden feel like an extension of your house. Tie the colours in with colours you have in the home as well as colours you have used in the garden to create a unified and cohesive design. You don’t need green fingers for this, and it’s amazing how much more welcoming a garden becomes when it has a seat with a lovely cushion and a throw on it. Also, don’t forget to invest in a decent BBQ – this is essential to have, especially if you are planning to entertain friends and dine alfresco. And if you are concerned about leaving it to the elements, removals and storage services can keep your expensive new items safe until next year. Check out the wide range of outdoor essentials and BBQ’s available at Tesco on tesco.com/direct/garden.

I don’t know about you, but in my opinion, you can’t beat chilling with a nice refreshing drink, whilst reflecting on a hard days work in the garden, cheers!

*This is a collaborative post*