It’s been an interesting winter, with a dry and mild start, to a stormy soggy middle, and back to a quiet couple of weeks, followed by gale force winds the past week. We’ve had cold snaps, heavy rains, trees failing from extreme inundation and waterlogged roots, power outages, landslides, crumbling roads… It’s all a bit much.
We can look ahead to spring and start thinking of all those things we’d love to be doing in our gardens right now, if only the weather would decide what it wants to do.
To walk through most gardens at the moment is to hear the singsong squelching of mud underfoot, where it felt like only yesterday, we were begging for rain. Winter may have had an awkward start, but it’s since hit us in full force.
- Take stock
For many, winter can be a time to relax and forget the fact that lawns and trees and shrubs even exist anymore. After all, who wants to be tending their gardens in pouring rain or freezing cold? But there comes a time when the sun returns to our forgotten lands, shining a light on all that accumulated shame and neglect. The grass is growing again, the weeds are out of control, there’s leaf litter in the gardens, the gardens are spilling onto the paths, the paths are muddy, your shoes are muddy, now the floors inside are muddy, now you’re mopping and the lawns still haven’t been mowed. Maybe you should just move house. Or perhaps, you should take a deep breath, and make a list. There’s three whole months of spring, and then three whole months of summer, the good weather is just getting started! Getting back into our gardens should be a welcome relief, not feel like an overwhelming mountain of tasks. Decide what you want to tackle first and take it one step at a time. Or you can enlist some outside help to ease the pressure.
- A Little Landscaping Can Go a Long Way
In our experience, early spring can reveal some problems we hadn’t anticipated, and as things warm up there’s no better time to tackle the hard stuff. Garden bed edges may have collapsed from winter rains, mulch or soil may have spilled onto once crisp, clean footpaths, water refuses to drain from low spots or stagnates on compacted ground with poor drainage. Before we go planting or pruning or chasing fiddly loose ends, this can be a good time to address some of the foundational things that can greatly improve our gardens, while making it easier to maintain in the long run. You might want to dig some channels and run some Ag-pipe to help with drainage issues, fix and shore up garden beds and paths, top up the mulch. Basically, check off the harder “one and done” things that aren’t part of your regular maintenance. Some of these jobs might be hard work, but the payoff can be quite rewarding, especially if it’s something you’ve had on the back-burner waiting for winter to blow over.
- The Battle Begins
No sooner have we inspected our gardens and tackled the big stuff, than we turn around and see that the grass is growing before our very eyes and the weeds are closing in. The sun we’ve been waiting for all those winter months is now conspiring with the rain to prevent us from ever leaving our gardens again. Fire up the lawnmower, wind up the brush-cutter cord (then swear and shout and wind it again because your hand slipped and you had to start all over), bring out the saws and secateurs, and get to cutting every errant blade of grass and unwelcome plant that’s dared rear its ugly head in your domain! The lawns will need to be mowed again in a week or two, but you can take comfort in knowing that any woody weeds you’ve removed might at least buy you a few months of peace.
- Judicious Pruning is Prudent Pruning
Forgetting that awful tagline and returning to the subject of cutting things, let’s talk pruning. It can be tempting to tear into every tree and shrub in sight, bringing their unruly growth under control and shaping things to our perfect liking once again. Do bear in mind, however, that spring may not be the perfect time to prune every species. Deciduous trees and shrubs put a lot of energy into bud-burst, “waking up” from winter dormancy with a flush of new growth to greet the warmer months. An overzealous approach to pruning may interrupt this crucial stage and harm your plants, and we don’t want that. There are also many plants that flower in spring and by pruning them at the wrong time, you may cost yourself that season’s blooms. So, while we may want to tame the wild growth that spring brings on, we need to do so carefully and with a bit of a plan in mind, picking the right time for the right plant. Be patient and precise and, of course, seek professional advice if ever in doubt.
- An Undertold Story
Winter can be a dreary, dull time, where our gardens do anything but inspire us. The lack of colour, the lack of light or movement – a calm winter’s day may give your yard the appearance of being frozen in time. And then spring comes, we see new life returning, with colours and critters and layers of light and shadow. Why not invite even more life and vigour to your garden with some extra planting? Too often we see bare garden beds beneath tree canopies, or open expanses of pristine, boring old lawn. Why not prioritise a little understorey planting? Whether you’re looking to introduce some instant colour by planting flowering annuals, or something more long-term in perennial ground-covers or shrubs. The benefit goes beyond visual improvement (though the added colour, depth and complexity is sure to make your garden look phenomenal), it also benefits the environment, by increasing biodiversity, attracting pollinating birds and insects and literally bringing more life to your backyard.
So, there you have it, with this list in mind there should be no stopping this spring. So ready your shovel, sharpen your secateurs, or just give your local arborist or gardener a call. We won’t judge, and we’re always happy to help.