With a scattering of premature snowdrops, it’s fair to say that spring has officially sprung. As ever, I’ve been caught out: the garden has a backlog of all those winter tasks I was hoping to have diligently ticked off already: cutting back branches, giving the lawn a trim, planning out a meticulous growing schedule for warmer months. No matter: now I have plenty of jobs to occupy my on sunny days, and I intend to make the most of them. Here are my top goals for updating the garden this spring.
Seed a wildflower garden
I’m lucky to have a large garden, but I have never been a fan of keeping it in totally pristine condition: a well-manicured lawn is pretty, but it can feel a bit suburban and boring. So this year, to keep things interesting, I’m going to create a mini, wildflower meadow. I have the perfect spot out the front of the house: it gets lots of sun and is relatively open plan. I’m going to scatter a seed mix of ox-eye daisies, sorrel, cowslip and cornflowers in a cordoned-off area of lawn, keep the area well-watered, weeded and free from marauding birds.
Buy new garden furniture
Every year, I imagine myself sitting outside on sunny mornings, coffee and a good book in hand as the sun rises over the hills. In reality, I’m usually found fighting with one of our obstinate garden chairs, first wrestling it out of the shed, then trying to persuade its rusty old hinges to relent and let me have a seat. Well: not this year. I’m going to buy a couple of garden benches and a trellis frame to create a seating area shaded by some climbing flowers. Outdoor furniture will make the perfect accompaniment to a little oasis, and is somewhere which I can retreat when the kids get too rowdy!
Tidy up the kids’ play area
Whenever I am out for a stroll of ‘the grounds’ in summer, I do find myself tripping over the kids’ toys they’ve left out in the garden. Rather than stowing them in the shed, which is already super-cluttered, I’m planning on doing something quite exciting: I’m going to surprise them with a new, wooden playhouse! Not only will this help keep the clutter indoors, I’m sure they’ll be pretty happy with the idea.
Sarah Law is a keen gardener and mother of three.
Image by elspethbriscoe used under the Creative Commons license.