AT the time of writing this article, it looks like summer has finally arrived, and with it comes the promise of warmer weather and the opportunity to spend a lot more time enjoying our gardens.

Here are a few simple things you can do to keep your garden looking at its best, throughout the year.

• Add a splash of colour – Plant some pots, baskets and containers with some summer bedding plants such as geraniums, petunias and lobelia. They are a low-cost way of adding instant colour to your garden, and if you give them a bit of love and attention, they’ll reward you all summer long. For an extra treat, include some scented plants such as Nemesia ‘Wisley Vanilla’ which produces a delicious scent.
• Don’t forget to water your plants – Rather than watering little and often, which encourages weeds and causes plants to form roots near the surface of the soil, neither of which is good, water thoroughly every few days so that the water can really soak in. Watering this way will encourage deeper roots and will make your plants less vulnerable in hot weather.
• Feed your plants – All plants, especially flowering plants, can exhaust the nutrients in the soil really quickly during the growing season, particularly plants grown in pots and containers. Applying a quality liquid feed to the soil when you water will replace these lost nutrients and will strengthen your plants and encourage them to produce more flowers. A healthy, well-fed plant will also be less susceptible to drought and attacks from pests and disease. Always make sure that the soil around your plant is moist before applying a feed, as feeding a plant in dry soil can do more harm than good.
• Deadhead your plants – Deadheading is simply the term used for removing any flowers that are past their best. Doing this will stop the plant from setting seed and it’s a really clever way of encouraging your plants to produce many more flowers. Be sure to remove the flower below the base, or you may leave the seed-forming part in tact.
• Give your lawn a bit of love – Now is a great time to apply a multi-action granular treatment to your lawn. They contain a lawn feed that will replenish much needed lost nutrients which will green up your lawn and strengthen it, in preparation for the drier summer months. It will also clear moss and weeds from your lawn which will compete with your grass for moisture and nutrients, and can take over if left unchecked, leading to unsightly bare patches. If you can, try and leave a small part of the garden unmanicured, to provide an important space for insects, pollinators and other wildlife.

If you would like to keep your garden looking fabulous, pop in to Goulds Garden Centre where our friendly team can give you all the advice you need! Happy gardening!

Sue Butterworth
GouldsGC.co.uk

Sue Butterworth is in her 24th year at Goulds Garden Centre. She is the plant manager for this busy store and has been sourcing plants for award winning gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show since 2018. She is an avid gardener, leading to numerous Britain in Bloom awards including a 1st.