How to Prepare Your Garden for the Summer

With summer fast approaching, you’re probably looking forward to making full use of your outdoor area, whether you’re planning events in a large commercial garden or simply hoping to spend time in your private one. Naturally, you won’t want overgrown plants or wilting grass to spoil the look of your landscape, so now’s the time to prepare your garden for summer.

If you want your garden to look its best in time for the warmer temperatures, the team at Scotts Tree Surgery & Garden Maintenance is here to help with our top tips.

Lawn care

Not only does overgrown grass make your garden look neglected, but it can also make it difficult to actually use your garden as this uneven surface can be uncomfortable to walk and sit on. When the warmer weather kicks in and your grass begins to grow again, it’s important to implement a regular mowing routine to ensure your lawn looks neat and tidy. 

It’s also a good idea to feed and water your lawn – especially during periods of dry weather – as this promotes healthy growth to leave it looking lush and dense. For more in-depth advice on lawn care, why not check out our blog post on the subject?

Frequent weeding

During warmer temperatures, the weeds in your garden thrive and grow faster than ever before. Therefore, it’s important to weed your garden regularly – otherwise, you could find your space overrun.

The most traditional way to get rid of weeds is to dig them out by hand. You’ll have to ensure that you pull out the entire thing, including the roots, otherwise it could regrow. Alternatively, for weeds in your flower beds, you could apply a layer of mulch to suppress their growth; there’s also the added benefit that mulch helps your soil to conserve water while offering a nice decorative finish. You could also apply a weedkiller; however, these can harm other plants nearby, so they must be used with caution.

Regular pruning

Harsh winter temperatures can damage your trees and cause certain branches to die. To allow your trees to thrive during the warm summer months, it’s best to remove any decaying branches and prune any particularly thick trees to thin the canopy and allow better access to sunlight. For spring flowering trees, like cherry trees or magnolias, it’s best to prune them right after they’ve bloomed to encourage new growth and prevent next year’s buds from being removed. Why not consult a professional tree surgeon, like one of the experts here at Scotts Tree Surgery & Garden Maintenance, for more specific advice on the right approach for the trees in your garden?

Clean your outdoor furniture

Unless you like sitting outside in the freezing cold, you’ve probably not used your garden furniture since last summer. So, to avoid sitting on chairs covered in grime, it’s best to give your outdoor furniture a quick clean now. If your garden furniture features cushions or fabric coverings, these should be stripped and put in the washing machine if possible, or gently scrubbed with warm soapy water and detergent if not. If you have wooden furniture that looks a little shabby, you might want to sand and oil it to protect it from weather damage.

Plant summer bedding plants

Bedding plants are a great way to brighten up any flower beds, hanging baskets or borders in your garden and can be planted as either seeds or plug plants. If planted in late spring, these fast-growing plants will create a colourful, eye-catching display in time for summer. For a bright, low-maintenance plant that will flower for a long time, begonias and geraniums are a great solution, while cosmos and sweet peas offer a more delicate look. Petunias and fuchsias are also popular choices and provide a splash of bright colour to your garden while also attracting bees and butterflies. 

Enlist a professional

Ensuring your garden looks its best takes a lot of time and effort, especially if you’ve not done much gardening before and you’re not sure what to do. If you have a large outdoor space, whether that be extensive commercial grounds or a private garden, you might benefit from the help of a professional, like the team at Scotts Tree Surgery & Garden Maintenance. 

Whether you need inspiration on the best summer flowers or you need a hand maintaining your lawn, the experts at Scotts Tree Surgery & Garden Maintenance can help. With over 20 years of experience to our name, we’re your local, leading tree surgeons and grounds maintenance contractors, serving domestic and commercial customers across Dorking, Guildford, Horsham and beyond. 

To discuss your needs in more detail, get in touch with our friendly team today.