Spring Clean – Top tips for sprucing up your home

With spring upon us and summer just around the corner, it’s time to turn your attention to the unloved parts of your home. While the winter holds its icy grip on your house, the garden tends to fall victim to neglect.

The season of barbecues, garden parties and sunbathing is almost upon us though, so we’ve compiled a list of the best ways to revitalise a garden in time for summer.

1. Decking

Whether you hire a builder or have a go at it yourself, installing decking is a great way to add value to a property and create a no-hassle surface for lounging. You can either contact an expert who will advise you on materials, or you can plan it alone and buy the materials from a retailer such as Arbordeck – they can also advise you on the correct tools.

2. Install/refresh paving

Like decking, block paving is a simple and effective way to spruce up a garden. Paving can create pathways, living areas and help reclaim ground from unruly turf. Thanks to a range of different styles, from the Mediterranean to contemporary tiles, you’ll find something that fits your garden’s feel. Builders merchants like Kent Blaxill can offer advice on which style will suit.

Once installed, your garden will look transformed. Just remember to keep on top of it each year, or if you already have decking make sure you take time to refresh it for summer. To bring paving back to life, you’ll need a jet wash and a bag of kiln-dried sand. Just wash between the cracks, wait for it to dry and then brush sand between the cracks to make your paving look brand new.

3.  Revitalise your plants

Winter isn’t kind in a garden. The first victims are your plants, and while some will grow back as the seasons’ turn, a lot of them won’t. Spring is the time to be planting new plants. If you want to add a small tree to your garden, consider planting evergreens in April/May. Make sure to tame any bushes that have grown wild.

The easiest route to quick garden revitalisation is to buy potted plants. For summer, few plants are more beautiful than marigolds, geranium and begonias. Head into a garden centre and get creative. If you have no planting space, planting in a metal or wooden bucket full of soil can add a post-modern chic to your garden.

4. Repaint and reproof surfaces

If we’re talking about quick ways to revitalise a garden, you can’t ignore the results a splash of paint can provide. For fencing and decking, give the surfaces a thorough wash. From here, you can paint on a primer coat and then an overcoat, or select a water-based exterior paint that will offer protection against the elements. Specialist decking formulas tend to have self-undercoating properties, which means you can get attractive results fast.

5. DIY in your garden

Once you’ve got gleaming surfaces, healthy plants and new designs sorted out, it’s time to accessorise. The best thing about a garden is the adaptability. You can either buy a pre-done set of table and chairs or you can start getting creative. Buckets and tree stumps become planters, shipping pallets can be converted into all sorts of furniture, and some PVC sheet and rocks can turn into a pond. DIY & Crafts have demonstrated that the possibilities are limitless!