Originally posted on https://www.fabafterfifty.co.uk/2019/07/04/simple-ways-to-update-your-garden/

Now that our British summer is finally here, we can look forward to our strawberries and Pimms, enjoy our Wimbledon fix, and finally enjoy time in the garden with a good book and a glass of rose. Keeping on top of that outside space can however add additional stress when you live a busy life – and want to enjoy your outside space.  But don’t despair, you can still have a well-groomed outside space without it taking an excessive amount of time.  There are even few simple and easy summer gardening tips that you can follow now that will also set you up for next spring. So here are a few gardening and landscaping tips to get you through the summer.

Lush Lawn

Keeping that lawn looking lush takes time and a lot of ongoing maintenance. An emerging trend with garden designers is to opt for moss – apparently it provided that lush green look without the need for mowing!  Increasingly popular for smaller spaces, and in gardens wanting a more ‘architectural’ look is the use of artificial grass. The look of artificial grass has improved a lot in recent years. After the initial outlay  the ongoing savings in terms of time and maintenance costs are immeasurable. Look at sites such as New Lawn Artificial Grass Ltd  to see what artificial lawn options there are.

Keeping your pots in bloom

The need for daily watering can become a bit of a chore, but there times when schedules just don’t allow for running around the patio with a watering can. If you know that you are going to have to miss a watering session, then fill an empty mineral water bottle and push the neck of the bottle into the soil of the pot – the water will gradually drain into the soil. Not a solution for a 2 week holiday but it does help if you have to miss watering for a couple of days.  Mix the soil in pots with water absorbing crystals (available from garden centres) to keep the soil moist for longer. If you struggle to keep your hanging baskets going throughout summer, then look at other options. Swapping the baskets for retro solar lights can still provide interest and are great for adding ambience on summer evenings.

Keeping the Patio in tip top shape

Lichen and algae can ruin the look of any patio. There is nothing more frustrating than spending hours pressure washing the patio, only to have black spots start to re-emerge just days later. There are many expensive products on the market that claim to resolve the problem. If you look through the ingredients lists for many the common ingredient is bleach. Check that it is safe to use with your particular stone, but mixing a high concentrate bleach with water and washing down the patio with it after pressure washing can help keep lichen and black spot at bay. The difference is not immediately apparent – as I discovered when I only used on half of my patio – a couple of months later there was a dramatic difference between the two sections-  it seems the bleach continues to work with each rainfall. Needless to say the second half of my patio has now been done. It save hours of time spent pressure washing over the summer months.

Small tweaks in terms of managing the garden can make all the difference when it comes to finding time to enjoy our (usually short) British summer.