With all the uncertainty in the world at the moment, there seems to be one underlying positive that we can all agree on. This pandemic has given us time to smell the roses, both figuratively and literally, so not only are we more appreciative of family, friends and the home we’ve built for ourselves, but with Spring having sprung over the past few weeks we’re appreciating the buds and blossoms more than ever.
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The good weather has helped, yet typically as we type the forecast is due to take a turn, which isn’t great news for our daily outdoor exercise, but is for our gardens!
If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, we hope you’ll be spending more time in it and as we have just received delivery of some darling buds as we move into May, here are some of our top gardening tips to see you through the rest of the season…
- Take time to get to know your garden; what do you already have growing? When do they bloom and how should you care for them? Usually some maintenance work needs to be done this time of year to really reap the benefits of your garden throughout the summer into the autumn.
- With the great weather we’ve just had, and the rain to come, not only will our buds be blooming but the weeds will be springing up too. Try to get as many of these out from the root as possible to clear your flower beds, making way for some lovely new planting.
- Most likely, your garden is going to have light and shade, so make sure you know what your plants need before planting them – some will need to bask in the sunlight but others will get too parched to be in direct sunlight all day.
- Arriving in stores just in time for May/June planting are Fuchsia plants, Dahlia already in bloom and Cape Daisy, all of which will thrive (with care!) from now until the end of the summer. You can also pick up some firm favourites such as Marguerite daisies and colourful Campanula that can be bedded or transferred into pots to brighten up your patios and porches well into the autumn.
- Even if you don’t have a garden, you can bring some wilderness to your windowsills by potting lavender in window boxes, or even putting some in your bedroom to help you drift off into a calmer sleep. And at a time when we must stay at home, putting house plants in a few corners will help purify the air which is so important for our new life at home.
The benefits of gardening more than supersede those of just having pretty flower beds, it is well documented that gardening can have a restorative power, can give you purpose and is mindful, which are welcome feelings right now.
Just remember what Audrey Hepburn said, “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow”.