Your Garden – Year Round

 

We all love our gardens – whether you have a green thumb, or just love enjoying it, a garden can be a perfect sanctuary for anyone. But, for those who don’t live with year-round sunshine, a garden is only enjoyed for half the year; spring and summer. It doesn’t have to be like that; every season brings with it a new way of enjoying your garden.

 

Spring …

 

This is where that green thumb comes out. After the chilly weather has abated everything starts growing again. Lay the foundations for the year by planting flowers that will bloom at different times of the year, so that your garden is constantly alive. You can also help nature as the little critters start waking up. Bee hotels are easy to make, or buy, and have drastically helped to improve the declining bee population over the past few years. Put out feeders for birds and squirrels, and, when mowing the lawn or trimming a hedge, always check for nests. Birds and bunnies are two of the animals that regularly lose their babies to careless gardeners.

 

Summer …

 

Time to relax. You did the hard work; now you get to enjoy it! Invest in some all-weather patio furniture, that way you won’t have to find a home for them in the winter. Create a dining space in your garden so that you can properly enjoy the warm weather. You can even upcycle old bricks and slate to build a grill or create extra seating by converting old tires into stools, or pallets into benches. Keep nature happy by providing birdbaths so everyone can stay hydrated. If you have a pool make sure you cover it at night, as nocturnal animals can fall in looking for a drink and drown. The same is said for ponds – cover them or create a sloping wall for animals to climb out.

 

Fall …

 

As the leaves start to cover the ground and everything goes from green to orange, prepare your garden for the coming chill. Most plants are fine in the winter and will bloom again in the spring, and some flowers wait until fall to bloom at all. But for those who might not survive, cover them with wood chips or straw to stop the frost from reaching the roots. You can also transform your outdoor dining area. You might not want to sit out in the cold to eat, but use that seating area to enjoy the crisp air by installing some heaters. Your garden will become a haven for hibernating animals, so place little dens around the shrubbery for them to make nests. As the days get colder, food gets more scarce for the little creatures, so pop out more food for them to squirrel away.

 

Winter …

 

Using solar powered lights and lanterns, turn your garden into a winter wonderland. You’ll enjoy your garden more for the snow-related activities, rather than sitting out in the cold, but use those heaters to have an area to warm up while still enjoying the snow. When building a snowman/fort be careful of where you’re grabbing the snow from – frogs and toads freeze over in winter, usually under slabs or logs, so check before you grab, and double check before adding any wood to a fire.