Essential gardening tasks for Spring and Summer

In our earlier blogs, we’ve looked at inside and outside your new-build home and what needs to be done to ensure it’s maintained to a high standard. Regularly maintaining your property will ensure that everything is kept in working order and operating to its best potential. This includes not just the components of the house –  the building materials, such as roof tiles and guttering, etc – but also the ‘mechanics’ of the home, such as the kitchen equipment and bathroom suites.

By carrying out regular maintenance, you are also protecting your investment for the future and ensuring that you get the most enjoyment out of living there while it is at its best.

Express yourself

We’ve mentioned the outside space at the house and any outbuildings associated with the property, but there is much more to the outdoors than the garage, patio and garden shed. What you can do with your outside space is only limited by space, budget and your imagination. New-build developments vary in shape and size, and provide the scope for you to express yourself.

If you have a generous garden, then the sky’s the limit in terms of scope and creativity. Unfortunately, the grander your plans the more work will need to be carried out all year around, to keep on top of tasks and ensure that the garden doesn’t become overgrown or overwhelming.

We finish our new-build projects to a very high standard and often the exterior landscaping will have been discussed beforehand. This will mean that there may already be garden features, such as lawns, borders and hedges, incorporated as part of the project’s construction. Because of the nature of the construction process, landscaping and exterior construction will be the last part of the construction to be carried out. This is usually due to access issues and the fact that the surrounding land will be needed to access the site and the building as it takes shape. As a result, the garden landscaping is the finishing touch to the project, a locale to set-off the completed building.

Seasonal changes in Spring and Summer

Spring is the time of new growth, as everything in the garden bursts to life. It is also the opportunity to make sure you are making the most of your garden and to concentrate on new plantings and features. This could mean installing a patio, building a wall or erecting a pergola. Spring is a great time to do this, before any of the plants begin to become too establish and in bloom, and so your garden and its new additions will look their best throughout the summer.  

As with any long-term project, breaking down maintenance jobs into bitesize chunks is a good way to stay on top of tasks all year around. Aspects like lawns and borders need attention at regular points in the year and are an ongoing project for keen (and not-so-keen) gardeners.

Spring is usually defined by lighter nights and a rise in temperatures. Keeping your flowerbeds weeded and topped up with mulch or fertiliser will give the plants there the best chance to grow. Planting bulbs now will ensure your beds will look great in the summer months. A good tip from gardening experts is to divide any perennial plants you have in your garden, as this is an easy way to multiply plants without having the expense of buying more. It’s a natural evolution that ensures that you increase the number of plants in your garden.

Clear the decks

It’s also worth checking any winter damage to paths, brickwork, concrete or hardstanding due to frost or water damage in Spring and Summer. Also you’ll need to scrub or wash any paths and parking areas, to remove any moss or debris from paths and other concreted or paved areas. Decking in particular needs methodical maintenance, both to mitigate against wear and tear, but also to keep it looking at its best.

The same is true of ornamental paths and brick sets, which will also require regular maintenance, in the same way anything aesthetically pleasing will require. Aspects such as ornamental edging to paths are part of the design and should be regularly cleaned. If you have a vegetable garden and grow your own veg over the Summer months, it’s also the time to plant some of the hardiest, like potatoes, radish and lettuce.

Once the frosts have passed, you can bed in other new plants too, like new trees and shrubs. These should be regularly watered – but not overwatered – if the soil and weather conditions require it, and also special fertiliser can be applied too. By the end of Spring, you’ll be deadheading Spring-flowering blooms, and  sowing Summer-friendly vegetables.

Best laid plans

Although you may have already cut back shrubs, hedges and trees in the autumn, to properly trim back their summer growth, they might need further pruning in the before birds begin to nest and the growth spurt towards summer gets underway. As well as cutting back any extended growth, you also need to make sure that any unsafe branches are made safe and are pruned back. If you haven’t had the chance to trim back hedges and other foliage in the garden in the autumn, then your Spring gardening binge will be a much larger proposition. Any fallen debris and leaves should also be cleaned up before summer. Leaves of course can be used to make mulch, as part of the Spring clean, and later be used on flowerbeds as nourishment.

Smaller gardens will obviously require a lot less seasonal maintenance and are generally simpler to keep in pristine condition. Urban gardens will require a different approach again – there’s often a lot of use made of decking and hardstanding, or even artificial grass, rather than natural lawns and turf. Artificial grass can be a great benefit for urban homes and is exceptionally low-maintenance. It can be rolled out over large areas and look very natural while providing the traditional splash of greenery a real lawn provides.

By carrying out these tasks in good time, you will ensure that your garden looks at its best over the Summer and is a pleasant, relaxing, rewarding space to spend your time in.       

CB Homes is an A1+ member of the National House Building Council (NHBC), registered builder with the Local Authority Building Control (LABC), as well as a member of the Federation of Master Builders.

Each of our homes is backed by our unique and dedicated personalised approach to customer service. This ensures every CB Homes development delivers ultimate peace of mind to its new owner, long after we’ve handed you the keys.

Contact CB Homes today to discuss your next move.