Your garden is a great place to retreat to when it’s all getting too much for you, and you need to relax, or when you’ve spent a bit too much time gaming or glued to the latest Netflix sensation, and you literally need to touch grass, but it doesn’t always feel that way, right? If your garden is overgrown and unkempt, then it can end up not being the beautiful outdoor haven that you want or need it to be, and that really sucks. It’s also why, below, we are going to take a look at what you can do to keep your garden in good shape with ease.
Start with a simple routine
If you want to keep your garden in good shape without it ultimately overwhelming you to do so, then you need to put a simple routine in place so that you are regularly doing the basics. A few small tasks done regularly are far easier than tackling weeks of neglect all at once, after all.
A basic routine might include:
- A quick weekly walk-around to spot weeds or struggling plants
- Regular mowing during the growing season
- Light pruning to remove dead or messy growth
- Tidying paths, patios, and edges
When gardening becomes part of your routine rather than a big occasional chore, it feels far more manageable, and you are far more likely to stay on top of it as a result.
Keep lawns looking healthy
Lawns often take up a lot of space, so their condition has a big impact on how your whole garden looks. A patchy or overgrown lawn can make everything feel untidy, even if the rest of the garden is well cared for, so you are going to want to start taking basic lawn care more seriously.
- To keep your lawn in the best shape, simply:
- Mow regularly, but avoid cutting too short
- Keep mower blades sharp for a clean cut
- Leave grass clippings occasionally to return nutrients to the soil
For neat edges around flower beds, fences, and paths, a string trimmer is incredibly useful. It helps define borders and reach areas a mower can’t, giving your garden a polished finish.
Stay on top of weeds
Weeds are any plants of foliage that start growing in your garden that you did not plant there yourself and which you do not want to be there because they do not enhance the overall look of your space, or because they are invasive and will take over the whole of the yard if you let them.
So, it goes without saying that you need to stay on top of them and get rid of them almost as soon as they appear if you want to keep your garden in great shape.
The good news is, effective weed control is actually pretty easy and will not take up much of your time if you do the following regularly:
- Pull weeds when the soil is damp so roots come out easily
- Mulch garden beds to suppress new growth
- Tackle weeds early before they set seed
Just a few minutes of weeding each week can save hours of work later in the season. Bear that in mind and don’t let yourself get lazy and start slacking, or it will be a much bigger job for you to tackle when you come back to it again.
Look after your plants
A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that once they have planted something and it has grown, they can pretty much leave it to its own device, but here’s the thing: plants need TLC, and sometimes they need a fair bit of it, if they are to thrive.
Not only that, but healthy plants are far more resistant to pests and easier to maintain than stressed-out ones, so you are going to want to make sure that you are:
- Watering deeply rather than little and often
- Watering at the base of plants, not over the leaves
- Removing dead flowers and damaged stems to encourage new growth
and that you are doing so regularly. If a plant consistently struggles, it may be in the wrong spot. Moving it to a sunnier, shadier, or more sheltered area can make a surprising difference.
Don’t forget paths and hard surfaces
Garden maintenance isn’t just about plants. Paths, patios, decking, and seating areas all contribute to how enjoyable your garden feels and functions too, so you are going to have to give them some TLC if you want to keep your garden in great shape, too.
You can do that by:
- Sweeping away leaves and dirt regularly
- Removing moss or algae that can make surfaces slippery
- Checking for loose stones or uneven slabs
Clean, safe paths make your garden more inviting and easier to use in every season, so they are not something you can just skip out on looking after.
Use the seasons to your advantage
Each season brings different jobs, and working with the seasons makes gardening far easier. So, let’s ta keja quick tour through the seasons, shall we?
Spring: Clearing winter debris, feeding soil, and planting
Summer: Watering, mowing, and keeping weeds under control
Fall: Pruning, leaf removal, and preparing plants for colder weather
Winter: Protecting sensitive plants and keeping things tidy
By spreading tasks across the year, you avoid feeling overwhelmed at any one time, and again, this makes it more likely that you will follow through and do what you need to do to keep your garden in good shape.
Learn as you go
No garden is ever fully finished, and no one knows everything about gardening when they are just getting started, so it is smart to learn as you go.
Keep notes on:
- What grows well in your space
- When plants flower or struggle
- What changes improve results
and over time, you will learn a lot about what your garden needs to keep it in great shape.
As you can see, maintaining a garden in good shape is actually pretty simple if you are willing to do just a little work to have a space you can always enjoy. So, what’s stopping you?