Tips to make your garden a summer oasis

The biggest part of most gardens is the lawn,you know the story – when you’ve had the time to mow it’s been wet, and when it has been dry you’ve been busy.

The good news is if you do mow it after work in the cooler part of the day it won’t go through as much stress. Just because it is long doesn’t mean you have to slash it.

A longer lawn that’s mowed to be uniform looks fantastic, it’s more inviting and it’s easier than pushing the mower on a lower setting.

The longer the leaf on the grass the more traffic it can handle and that means it can stand up to backyard cricket.

Now is not the time to be buying big bags of smelly fertiliser for the garden, unless you want to stay inside with the windows closed. If the garden needs a feed, think about a liquid fertiliser or a synthetic, slow-release fertiliser that doesn’t smell.

I have noticed my paths are dirty, even slippery, from all the rain, so a pressure wash will ensure safety and will give them brighter look.

While you’re cleaning, wash your outdoor furniture. Spiderwebs are everywhere. If your furniture is wooden, sanding the timber lightly and giving it an oil is a quick and easy job.

Some new mulch will brighten the garden beds. I like to use composted bark fines. If you don’t want to spend the money, rake and move your existing mulch around. It will come up like new because mulch exposed to the sun fades.

Now is also a good time to remove all the Ds in the garden – dead, diseased and damaged.

I just removed all the dead flowers from my gardenias and they are transformed – from shrubs where dead flowers were all you could see to beautiful foliage and some new flowers blooming.

Diseased plants that have made the garden look messy should be removed or cut back. Plants don’t repair – they grow out of a problem if you manage it. So I like to remove the diseased foliage so the plant looks neat and tidy, and with dead plants remove and replace with fresh mulch.

It’s not too late to plant some colour in the garden. Nurseries and hardware stores have potted colour plants for a few dollars. By positioning them well around your entrance and around your outdoor entertaining area you can make a big impact for not a lot of money.

Most importantly, enjoy your garden over summer. I showed someone a photo of my lawn and they said, “make sure you enjoy it as much as you enjoy looking at it”, and I will.

Story by Jason Hodges; Story source: www.domain.com.au