We may have had a chilly start to the year so far but it’s time to welcome spring with open arms, prepping your outdoor space for warmer weather ahead and a burst of colour. Here are our top tips for how to get ready for the new season.
Tidy up
The quickest way to give your outside space a faceflift is to have a bit of a tidy up. Clear away debris, dead plants and leaves, cut back bushes, roses and fuchsias, give your lawn a mow if you have one (although not immediately after a frost, as this can damage grass), and give planters a clean to get them looking fresh and ready for new plants.
Introduce some colour
If you weren’t organised enough to plant spring-flowering bulbs in the autumn, don’t panic because you can still inject a shot of colour with some beautiful blooms. Many garden centres sell pre-planted containers at this time of year with all the traditional spring favourites, ready and set to burst open in the coming weeks.
If bulbs aren’t your cup of tea, fear not because spring bedding plants – such as pansies, petunias, gazanias and wallflowers – will also be available to buy now, so you can fill your beds, baskets, pots or window boxes with an abundance of colour and breathe life into your garden or balcony quickly and easily. These flowers will also attract pollinators, providing a perfect source of food after a tough winter. In fact, pansies (viola) are edible, so pick a handful to help jazz up your spring salads, garnish a cheeky cocktail, or even decorate a showstopping cake – just be sure to leave some for the bees and butterflies.
Offset these amazing bright tones with a beautiful set of furniture that will really make your outside space pop. This is also an ideal solution if gardening isn’t your forte and you want to add a splash of colour without having to get your hands dirty.
LifestyleGarden®’s Nassau range gives you a gorgeous palette to choose from, ranging from Peony Pink to Honey Yellow, with a variety of luscious greens in between. Perfect for waking a tired space up to the joys of spring and sure to give guests the wow factor when you entertain. There is a size and configuration to suit any space, from handy coffee and bistro sets to four- or six-seater dining sets. It is also a cause for celebration as we mark a whole year since the launch of this incredible collection in Social Plastic®; a unique recycled plastic material that is helping to tackle both the world’s plastic crisis and poverty in parts of the world most affected by plastic pollution.
Plan ahead
The things we’ve mentioned will help give instant results and get your space looking great in time for you to enjoy as the weather warms up or if you are entertaining. However, if you want to really maximise your garden this year, it’s best to look ahead and visualise how you want it to look, how you want to use the space and get a plan in place. To keep a colourful display throughout the season, ensure you have things flowering at different times, so get ahead by planting summer-flowering bulbs now.
If what you’re missing is the furniture set of your dreams, then consider how you want to use the space – for entertaining or just spending time chilling outside yourself – and find a collection that meets your needs. You get far better results by doing it this way instead of rushing out and panic buying whatever you can get your hands on because you left it till the last minute and, by then, spring or summer is in full swing and you want to enjoy your garden.
Planning ahead gives you time to do more research and could also help you spread the cost or save up to get exactly what you want. For example, you may have ruled out a corner sofa set if you have a balcony or small garden but, with a bit of research, you would find out that there are more compact versions on the market now.