Spring is just around the corner, and you are probably seeing those first signs of life in the garden. Gorgeous golden daffodils, and white blossom contrasting against a pale blue sky are among the things that can put a smile on your face around this time of year; but the sun shining brightly on your garden can suddenly reveal a multitude of sins.

Neglect over the winter months can leave your fences, greenhouse and flower beds tatty and ugly. Before your garden really starts to spring into rapid bloom, it is a fantastic idea to get those niggling jobs out of the way, leaving you free to focus on the task of maintaining a beautiful garden.

Here are a few tips on what you should do to get your garden ship shape in no time at all.

Keep Focused

If at all possible, dedicate a full day, or at least half a day to your spring clean. If you get settled and think of nothing else but the task in hand, then you are much more likely to take pleasure in it. You will not feel in any pressure to do anything else, and this can enable you to stay focussed better. Get your cleaning rags on, decide what you are going to listen to on your MP3 player, sort out the tools and products that you need for the job, and away you go.

General Sweep

First thing is first; you need to be able to see what you are dealing with. Get the rake and the sweeping brush out and sweep away dead leaves and debris from the whole area. Sweep away cobwebs in fencing, gates and summer houses, and rake up dead leaves and sticks from the garden.

Greenhouse

Choose a nice sunny day, with little chance of precipitation, and get everything out of the greenhouse. Then just go for it. Get the hose pipe on it, and flush out every corner. You will need a good quality window wiper, or even better, the Coopers Window Vacuum. This is available for just £24.99, reduced from £39.99 for a limited time only. It can save you so much time and leave gleaming windows in your greenhouse. It will make it easy for you to touch the panes up throughout the year too when they need it.

Fencing

A freshly coated fence can make all the difference to your garden. It can transform it from a run down space, into a welcoming, smart space. Again, you need to be sure of a clear, sunny day (preferably – or just dry if not). Start early, and begin by fixing the parts of the fencing that are damaged and need some attention. You may want to try a different colour this time to give your garden a fresh look, such as this Cuprinol Less Mess Shed Fence Woodland Green, available from Wilko for just £9.95 per 5L. You can also do your shed in the same coating so it matches.

Decking

Now is the time to get your decking cleaned up ahead of the summer months. You will need several dry days in a row for this, so pick your timing carefully. Use a hard wire brush and a good cleaner to get rid of the surface weeds and moss. If it needs a deep clean and restoring, then use a pressure washer to clean it up as much as possible. This decking restorer by Ronseal from B&Q should help you get tired and old decking back to a decent state. After restoring, you will need to leave the decking for a few days before you begin treating it to help it dry off. Then choose you protector. The Ronseal Decking Protector from B&Q is a good one to go for.

 

Once everything is gleaming and smart from your spring clean, you can forget about these things and focus all of your efforts on producing a glorious spring and summer garden. You can feel very proud of yourself when the compliments come flooding in at your summer barbecues.