Dublin Garden Design & Landscape Gardeners | (01) 539 4439

via IFTTT

Top Garden Maintenance Tips

Do you feel overwhelmed by the overgrown garden? Are the weeds taking over? Do your shrubs need constant pruning? Well, you don’t always have to feel this way if you do simple garden maintenance chores to keep it looking good all the time. These tasks will keep you from being overwhelmed by the massive work and change a few of your gardening habits.Even better, you will have more time to relax in your backyard and enjoy your time.

Trimming 

If you prune your plants regularly, you can prevent them from overgrowing. You need to cut the new growth only which means you don’t have to rake out a lot of waste from your garden. Just let it land in the garden where it will turn to mulch and fertilize the plants. Don’t use shears if you are trimming large foliage plants since they will cut the leaves into a half. Eventually, the remaining leaf turns brown thus your whole plant will look unhealthy. For the best results, you should perform this chore using secateurs.

Cleaning The Irrigation System

There is bound to be some build-up in the irrigation system, and that’s why you need to clean it twice every year. That way, you can make sure that your plants are receiving the best water. You can remove any dirt or debris that has passed through the filter or settled inside the lines. Start by unscrewing the spray outlets or drips, flush out the line and clean the filter accordingly.

Weeding

During the growing seasons, weeds are very common. Weeding is a very common garden maintenance chore. Pull the weeds out regularly or, if necessary, kill them using a weed spray. That way, you can remove them before they become permanent.

Mulching

If you have never tried mulching before, it’s the right time to do it. Spread any mulch over the soil after planting your seeds to prevent any growth of weeds. Also, it’s a good way to prevent the ground from drying very fast thus giving the seeds a healthy environment to grow. During the summer, the mulch will keep the soil very cool. During the winter season, the mulch will also insulate the ground. For the best results, you should use organic mulch that add nutrients to the soil as it breaks down.

Mowing Your Lawn Frequently

As part of your garden, you need to mow your lawn very often. If you cut off the grass tips, you will make the garden look denser and healthier. Rake out the grass cuttings and add them to your garden for mulching purposes. Before mowing, you should check the blades to make sure they are sharp. That way, you can guarantee a clean cut. If you mow using dull blades, they will shred your grass resulting in discolored tips. Eventually, this will disrupt the aesthetic appeal of your lawn.

Try these and many more tips for maintaining your garden and enjoy an incredible planting, growing and harvesting season any time of the year.

Design TIps For Small Gardens

Do you have a small space in your backyard you need to transform into a garden? Are you worried that you can’t achieve anything with the little garden area? Well, here are top small garden design tips that will work wonders in your backyard.

Height 

The fence, garages or walls are extra space if you think about it. In the house, the walls are used to place cupboards, mirrors or pictures. Well, that’s the same principle you need to apply to your garden. Try creeping and trailing plants to utilize the high spaces. Also, use containers such as wall mangers, window boxes or baskets to get the blooming plants very high. Naturally, anyone will be forced to look high thereby making the whole space larger.

Compartmentalizing

Divide your garden into sections thereby creating hidden areas. As a result, the garden will feel bigger because you can’t see everything at once. If necessary, you can always add an arch that will separate the garden areas creating the illusion of a larger space.

Diagonal Paving

Don’t pave using a flat edge design towards the house. Lay the paving stones on the point thereby creating diamond shapes. As a result, you will create the illusion of a larger garden than the reality.

Brighten Things Up

Planting brightly colored plants or other features in the garden will make it look larger and lighter. Try golden colors, sandy appearances or foliage with bright colors to achieve this illusion. It’s a general rule that warm colors will make any space, whether large or small, feel more intimate. Purple or blue colors often retreat the field of vision. Simply put, brightening up your little garden will make the whole space look large.

Large Trees

Add some large trees to the garden to bring the necessary height as well as privacy. You should consider planting canopy trees that create a green roof without taking up any space on the ground. If you plant any other tree types, you should clear the lower stems thereby creating more space on the ground.

Wildlife

You should add some bird boxes, roosting pouches and feeding stations in the garden. These will attract more wildlife thereby making your garden look alive. If possible, you can plant different flowers that attract insects and bees thus adding more color to your garden.

Furniture

If you need to add any furniture to the small garden, you should consider the foldable type. That way, if you are looking to spend some time in the backyard you can do so and remove the furniture whenever necessary to avoid any cluttering. If you add large furniture, it will probably take up the room leaving no space for your garden.

Containers

You should consider using containers that are perfect for planting small trees, flowers or any other plants. It’s easy to move the plants around in containers giving your garden a new look every time. Containers will keep all the plants portable making them easier to maintain.

Try these ideas for your small garden design for the best results.

For more information you can get in touch with DGD Garden Design & Landscape Gardeners for a FREE onsite consultation.