Originally posted on http://countryheartandhome.com/summer-fun-collaboration/

Along with the promise of long summer evenings comes the promise of lots of hard work to get your back garden ready for the fun times ahead. From weeding and mowing to caring for your lawn, there’s plenty to do.

If you’re not sure where to start then take a look at our short article which will talk you through everything you need to know about beginning the process of transforming your jungle into somewhere you’ll be glad to spend long evenings enjoying BBQs and fun with friends and family.

Clear Up

Over the spring your garden will have been a riot of colour as it burst into life, now that the warmer weather is here it’s not the time to start sewing new plants but you can have a tidy up of what you’ve got. Ramblers that are rambling out of control can be tied back to where they should be. Have a good weed around your beds and start your watering routine in the evenings, rather than in the heat of the day, which can effectively scald plants if the sun’s hot enough.

Clear away any dead leaves and generally give your plants a tidy up ready for the autumn ahead.

Your Lawn

This will need to be kept shorter over the summer months to allow water to fully penetrate below the surface and deeper down into the roots.

Use an aerator to create a series of holes that also allows the water to access further down.

Rather than just sprinkling your lawn with water every day, give it a long deep soaking every two or three days. You might also want to introduce some lawn feed into your routine to keep grass looking at its green best for longer.

If you’re at the point where looking after your lawn and all the upkeep that comes with it, is becoming too much then there are a number of options you can consider.

Remove it completely and replace with a mix of patio, shingle and decking for a look that just requires you to sweep up debris every now and again. You might also go down the route of replacing real grass with an artificial version. Where in the past previous versions have been hard and not particularly realistic, nowadays they are soft and come in a variety of colours and tones that can be hard to tell apart from the real thing. Why not send off for your Artificial Grass Samples to find a match that works for you.

Once your beds and lawn are back under control the fun can begin. Why not upgrade that furniture with something a little more comfortable and modern and treat yourself to a state-of-the-art barbecue that will have your family outside all summer long.

Then sit back on your new outside sofa with a cocktail in hand and let the good times begin in a garden that you can be rightly proud of.