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Gardens become one of the busiest parts of our homes during the hot weather, be it for barbeques and parties or simply as a place to relax outdoors.
We've spoken to Wilko's Senior Technologist Sam to share his advice and top tips on what readers need to do to transform any space.
1. Get your lawn looking lovely
A lush green lawn makes the perfect centrepiece for any garden, and if you show it some TLC now you can sit back and enjoy the results right through summer.
If your lawn is suffering from unsightly bare patches, try overseeding. Just break-up and rake the area then sow grass seed and rake over again, watering gently if there’s no rain. Gaps should disappear within 7-10 days.
TOP TIP
Aim to give it a trim once a week, but don’t overdo it – keep grass at around 4cm high in spring and 2.5cm in summer.
2. Add a splash of paint
What better way to shake off your winter wonderland with a fresh coat of paint! Whether it be to spruce up your shed, fence or rough sawn garden timber our garden colour has been specially developed to provide protection, whatever the weather.
And better yet, our paint is based upon a tough water-based formulation and contains pigments and waxes to resist ultraviolet and water attack. It's also suitable for use on primed metal and prepared masonry. Apply by brush.
Painting terracotta plant pots give you a chance to put your own design on your garden.
3. Put up a potting box
Whether you're potting on an outdoor bench or on your kitchen counter, simply unzip the front panel for easy access, sow or repot as needed then finally fold back up, keeping all your mess contained.
Marigolds, petunias and smaller varieties of sunflowers do well in pots, and begonias, pansies, and chrysanthemums are great for beds and borders.
TOP TIP
If you’re sowing outdoors, break down the soil with a fork. Then rake lightly before sowing. Follow the packet instructions on the depth and spacing of seeds.
4. Plant some magical marigolds
Marigolds are a fantastic underrated plant. Besides their beautiful flowers, Marigold’s are a natural deterrent to many garden pests whilst also attracting ladybirds which are a predator of many unwanted garden pests.
Sow seeds outdoors now and you’ll have a beautiful show of colour, attracting butterflies and bees to your garden all summer. Spring is the season to sow flowering plants so you might also want to consider chrysanthemums, pansies, begonias, poppies, and sweet peas.
TOP TIP:Marigolds have a distinctive smell that repels flies and gnats and deters destructive insects like whiteflies which feed on the underside of plant leaves.
5. Invite wildlife into your garden
The feeding station holds up to three feeders at once, so you'll have loads of different varieties of birds flocking to your garden in no time.
TOP TIP: The wood is pre-treated so you can just pop it straight up with no fuss.
6. And don't forget to feed your plants
To keep your garden full of vibrant colour you should feed flowering plants with a high potassium feed. Plants use potassium for the growth of flowers and fruit. Using a liquid feed gives plants a fast input of essential nutrients.
Whether you're looking for an all-rounder multi-purpose compost to suit the majority of your gardening needs or a potting compost that'll retain moisture to give young plants the best chance at survival, we stock it all.
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