Top tips to your perfect summer garden

The Great British Summer. It’s finally here! It’s great to enjoy the garden during the warmer months, but if yours isn’t looking its best, now’s the time to do something about it. With the longer, lighter evenings and a higher chance of warm, dry weekends, why not invest a bit of time in getting your garden up to scratch? You may even have some annual leave coming up which could be well used to get a head start on your outdoor project…

Top 10 tips to make the most of your outdoor space

1. Plan your project

The first thing you need to address is what you’d like to achieve with your outdoor space. Hatch a plan. Are you simply tidying and improving, or are you considering a complete redesign? Either way, make a list of everything that needs doing and your timeline for doing them to keep you on track. If you’re thinking of redesigning your garden, will you hire a landscape gardener or carry out the work yourself? If opting for DIY, consider all the equipment and tools you will need to get the job done. If hiring a landscaper, be sure to get quotes from three different companies to ensure value for money.

2. Garden flooring

Are you after a new path, patio or decked area? These are larger projects, but can have a huge impact on the look and usability of a garden. Have a think about the positioning of your path/patio/decking and what materials you’d like to use. Price up the different options and take advice – it’s best to get it right first time to save time and money.

3. Have a good clear out

Simply having a good garden clear out will make a world of difference. If you’ve undertaken larger projects such as cutting down trees, relaying turf, knocking down the old greenhouse or installing a new patio you may have a lot of unwanted material lying around. Or it could be old fence panels, aging garden furniture or a rotten shed that you need to get rid of. Whatever the case, TJ can offer a helping hand in the form of skip hire to enable and quick and easy clear-up.

4. Storage savvy

Adequate garden storage is essential to a neat and tidy garden. If you’re exploring new storage options, consider sheds, storage boxes and bike stores. Think about the sizes you can accommodate, where they’d go and what you want them to look like.

If you don’t need or can’t afford new storage, give what you’ve got a bit of TLC. Give it a good clear out to make space for the things you need to store, not just all the old junk you haven’t bothered to take to the tip yet. And if it’s a wooden shed, why not give it a fresh coat of varnish or a lick of paint to give it a lift? It’ll make a real difference.

5. Keep the grass neat and tidy

During the summer months when we have a mix of sunshine and rain (as we inevitably do in the UK!) the grass goes crazy! To keep your garden looking good, you’ll need to cut the grass one-two times a week. This is a considerable undertaking, especially if you have a large lawn, but it will be worth it for the aesthetic effect.

If your grass is past its best or you don’t have a lawn but would like one, there are a couple of options. You could go for artificial grass – this is good for smaller gardens rather than large as it can be pricey, but it would give you a low-maintenance lawn and it looks pretty good too. Alternatively you could lay a new lawn. This is best done in autumn when the hotter weather has subsided, giving the new turf the best chance to take, so get planning and pencil in the date now.  TJ can offer topsoil to aid your returfing, so find out more about this during the planning process.

6. Alfresco dining

Having a lovely place to sit and eat outside in the summer is bliss. With the lighter, warmer evenings, it’s a shame not to make the most of them! Invest in some garden furniture and remember to buy a cover for it to protect it from the elements during the winter. Think about where you’d like to position the furniture, do you want sunlight or a bit of shade? What will be your outlook – you don’t want a view of the bins while you’re eating!

7. Outdoor cooking

If you enjoy cooking outside and love a good BBQ, consider a few more exotic options too! You could install a pizza oven to create chargrilled Italian feasts or a firepit to add flare to your summer meals – both options are great fun and would wow your guests when entertaining.

8. Create a sun trap

There’s always that one patch of garden that catches the most sun, that little nook that the rays always seem to filter through to. Find that spot in your garden and make it into a little haven, a place to escape to with a good book when you have 10 minutes to spare. Purchase some comfy seating such as a swing chair and simply enjoy!

9. Chill out in the shade

Not a sun lover? Every garden needs an area where a bit of shade can provide respite on a hot summer’s day. This could be as simple as having a parasol to pop up, which is a versatile option as it can be moved around. Gazebos can be mobile or permanent fixtures and offer full shade. Pergolas give filtered shade and can act as a focal point of a garden. You can train plants to grow up them which will create more shade and look really pretty.

10. Keep your garden hydrated

It’s vital to keep your grass and plants well watered on hot sunny days. For smaller gardens a watering can or hose should suffice, but for larger gardens and lawns, invest in a sprinkler. This will give your greenery an evenly distributed level of moisture to keep the plants healthy and the lawn lush.

Let us manage your waste…

Whatever project you decide to undertake this summer, we can help make the clean-up easy.  We offer a range of skip hire options from 2 yard to 12 yard, so we’ve something to suit all projects big and small. Discover which skip would be the right choice for you by clicking on the individual skip pages for guidance.

For driveway renovations, landscaping or returfing, grab hire may be better suited for your waste needs – find out more and feel free to give us a call on 08000 463 964 to weigh up your options.