There are endless possibilities to enjoy the summer if you have a garden, who needs a holiday? Invite wildlife round instead of your neighbours, or get the kids working outside for a change. It’s time your garden saw a bit of life. With the weather improving there’s no reason not to soak up that vitamin D and get those thumbs green. Here are some ways in which you and your family can spend your weekends in the garden.
Time for a BBQ
Now that the weather is nice you can enjoy a BBQ outside with your family, but have you seen the state of your outdoor cooker since last year? It could need a bit of a clean first. If you’ve not got round to it yet don’t worry it’s a quick job. Leave the gas grill on with the lid closed for about 30 minutes, then brush off any grease with a grill brush. Give the exterior a good wipe down as well. Now you’re ready to brush up those BBQ skills as well. Have a look online for some more tips and tricks.
Why not treat yourself to a new outdoor cooker? You don’t need to spend your life savings installing a chimney-topped, woodfire oven. Check out some more convenient Camping BBQs online. They’re also portable so perfect for a fun, family outing.
Dig a Pond
A pond is a fantastic feature if you have the space. It adds a touch of elegance and character. Digging in a pond will make a nice home to host your amphibian visitors. It’s not too difficult to do, just make sure there are stones and branches surrounding it so that the animals can get in and out. Be sure to add water lilies and other plants to keep it fresh and inviting.
It takes a day on average to dig out a pond. One thing to think about, however, is what you will do with the loose soil afterward. Many people plan to use this topsoil for their trees and flower beds. Make sure you have an idea of what to do with it before you start. See here for more garden pond building tips.
Flower Beds
You need to prepare your flower beds to plant seeds and for flowers to grow. Use an edging tool to draw out flower beds. This creates a neat line, and a lip to collect mulch. It’s quite easy, check out this video tutorial. Once you’ve got the beds prepared you can start planting. Create a “raised bed” by loosening the soil with a hoe as you want fluffy soil. Mulch after planting seeds or bulbs and try not to walk on the beds. This will keep them protected. Sort out your irrigation system with a hose or sprinkler. This will be important for your lawn as well.
Find out which fertilizer is best for your flower beds. You can match the type of fertilizer to the plant, this should be on the instructions. You can even test the soil and see which is more compatible. Compost works great as, or alongside another organic fertilizer. Find out how to create a compost pile online, it’s a great way to get rid of your organic waste in the house, such as fruit and vegetable peeling, teabags, coffee, and leftovers.
Get the kids involved
Why not encourage the kids to get their little green thumbs working? They have a short attention span, so here are some tips to keep their interest. Start some plants in little pots or jars that they can decorate first. Get some seeds that won’t take too long to start sprouting. Quick growing examples include salad, cress, and sunflowers. You can start them off on the window sill. Teach them about how to care for their new plants by getting them a book about seedlings.
Get creative by making your own ornaments like garden gnomes out of recycled materials such as a tin foil. Encourage your kids to make a photo or video project out of it. They can then share this with friends and family, even while they’re stuck at home. Think of fun and original ways to get them interested like by upcycling household items to make plant pots and other decorations.
Invite Local Fauna
You might get some furry friends passing along now that you’re sprucing up your garden finally. Why not put out some food for them? Do some research into the common wildlife in your local area. You can get some binoculars and see who arrives to stop for a snack. Be careful of pests, and if you have pets, make sure they don’t get in each other’s way.
To go with your pond, you could set up little habitats for them to live in. Let your grass grow longer and plant “climbers” such as roses. This will encourage more wildlife and insects as they will have a more secluded place to live. This will help you to maintain your own healthy micro-eco-system. For more information on how to build a wildlife-friendly garden, see here.
Polish Your Tools
Now that you’re getting serious about gardening you’re gonna need the tools to match. It’s actually really important to keep them clean to prevent the spread of bacteria and rust. Sharpen them as well as this will give them better performance. Some of them will also need oiling or WD40 applying.
Get back into the garage and clean up your tools to get them ready for all your tinkering projects. Some other summer maintenance check-ups might be necessary. Have a look at the condition of fencing panels and gates as well, as the winter weather might have caused a bit of wear and tear. Make sure you get these replaced if they’re rotten or rusty and this will spread.
Tree Care
It’s all about making space so you might even need to get rid of any old tree stumps, or unwanted roots getting in the way. There are tree felling companies that can help you do that. Sometimes trees can actually be quite dangerous so it’s a good idea to have them inspected if you feel like they might be a hazard to your house.
On the other hand, you might want to actually plant some. You’ll need to carefully think about where to put them. You also need to take into account root health, weather, soil conditions, and aftercare. You can plant trees all year round, but the weather conditions are usually better in spring or summer. Some trees are easier to plant than others, for a selection of trees to look at, start here.
Vegetable Patch
Growing your own vegetables can be one of the most satisfying things on Earth. It’s an all-year-long project. It’s a good idea to print out a season food calendar so you know what to plant and when. The best thing is you can get to eat the produce. To get you started this season try onions, garlic, salad leaves, radishes, potatoes, peas, carrots, squash, and green beans. There are some lower maintenance options for beginners as well, don’t worry. You can harvest these in the autumn, so look out for some great results.
You’ll have plenty to keep the whole family busy this summer. Spend your days tending to the pond or flower beds, and your evenings having dinner outside. This autumn, you’ll hopefully be able to enjoy some of your very own fresh produce and blooming beautiful views.
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