The leaves are off, Christmas has come and gone. So we have said goodbye to 2016 and welcomed in 2017, with open arms. While the lawnmower is silent and the garden is having a well-deserved break why not use this time to plan how you will make the most of your outdoor space over the next 12 months, and how you will maintain it?
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Households that are going to be going through changes such as: kids leaving for university or moving out, into their own homes, or those looking to move, can use this opportunity to completely revamp their gardens and how they use the outdoor space.
Sheds and other garden structures are a good anchor point for a re-design; perhaps a summer house will become the new focus of how the garden is used? If the need for a large expanse of lawn is no longer there, then you can save a lot of time spent mowing with some clever landscaping tips. You can even go the whole hog and replace the lawn areas with artificial turf; get rid of the lawnmower altogether and replace it with a stiff broom for fluffing up the fake lawn. It will take up less space in your shed, leaving room for projects, storage or seating.
Replacing the traditional lawn with raised beds, paths and seating areas is becoming a popular option among households without small children, as the outdoor space can be used in many different ways for entertaining and relaxing. Barbecue pits with seating around them are a nice option for young couples and those who have grown up children and these features are low maintenance. Selecting plants that do not require a lot of intervention, means you can have attractive beds and planters without ending up in the garden every week pruning, watering and weeding.
If you are planning to plant raised beds, it is a good idea to remove any weed roots from the topsoil and also use a barrier material, to stop weeds growing in your beds. This will ensure that there are no dormant weeds lurking in the ground; and by filling the beds with clean soil on top of the barrier no more can grow through, significantly reducing the maintenance tasks in the long term. It may seem expensive when you are planning and costing the project, but keep in mind the longer term benefits of reduced working hours in the garden.
If you want to encourage wildlife in your garden, consider keeping a strip of meadow grasses and flowers somewhere in the garden. If placed on the edge of a garden it will be out of the way and does not need mowing. Wildflowers are pretty and delicate and make a nice feature in any garden. Moss is another option for shady areas where most grass varieties struggle to grow. Instead of spending months carrying out tests with different grass species in these areas, you could introduce moss to the area instead.
It grows well in damp and shady patches and provides a splash of green to patches where there may otherwise be bare earth or straggly grass. It does not need mowing and requires very little maintenance and can even support ferns and other unusual plants when established. Installed alongside a meadow strip it would give a very natural look to an area of garden that may otherwise be paved or decked over for the most part. The only thing to be aware of with moss is that it does not respond well to being raked, and if you try to clear leaves this way it will destroy the patch. Put down some netting if the moss is under a tree, or use a leaf blower to clear the area when needed.
Now is also a good time to research into alternative lawn care solutions for watering and other maintenance, as there will be a few months to go before many of these plans can be put into action. By planning purchases and work now you can ensure that everything gets done, nothing is left to the last minute, and more importantly, every task can be planned in the right order. With enough planning you can make the big purchases, like water butts, composting bins and lawn care equipment in the sales, saving you money over the year and ensuring that when the time comes for a particular project that all the things you need are to hand.
Grab the calendar, or write out your own, and start putting in your tasks now. If you encourage friends, family and neighbours to do the same, you may find some inspiration and overlap in your plans meaning you can save even more money by buying materials in bulk or splitting the cost of some equipment. You could even plan out some weekends where everyone pitches in on one garden, rotating through the spring so everyone gets a dedicated team in their patch at least once, if nothing else it’s a good excuse for a barbecue on the Sunday afternoon!