7 'P's to create a perfect spring and summer garden!

On Sept 23rd, we are officially at the start of Spring in SA. Here in Gauteng, we are already having lovely warm days and not too chilly nights, so spring and summer garden preparations need to start in earnest if you have not already started doing so.

We thought it might be helpful for you to remember these 7 'P's to create a perfect spring and summer garden. These are:

Purchase your plants

At the outset, decide what type of garden you want to create, where you will plant, and what you will plant, then use our plant selector, or visit our wholesale nursery and choose the plants you want. We can advise on your landscaping plan and many other aspects of creating your perfect spring and summer garden. Or pay a modest consulation fee and have a qualified landscaper assess your garden.

Preparing gardening tools

Before you start gardening, take stock of your gardening tools and note which tools you're missing and which need to be cleaned and sharpened. Many people don't realise that plant diseases and bacteria can quickly spread and often spread on garden tools, so they should be cleaned every month. Also, ensure you have the critical gardening essentials like a garden spade for digging holes and trenches, a cultivator for loosening the soil, and a trowel for planting bulbs, amongst others.

Preparing the garden beds

During winter, garden beds usually become filled with weeds, dead leaves, and other debris, so firstly, the weeds need to be removed and then the beds cleaned thoroughly. Also, extraneous dead materials like hydrangeas, ornamental grasses, woody perennials, etc., should be removed from the existing plants.

Preparing the soil

Till and turn over the soil until it is workable, and then conduct a pH test in case you need to add compost material to get the pH right for planting.

Preparing mulch

Begin mulching in late winter and avoid stepping on newly emerging bulbs and herbaceous plants. Ideally, look for ground mulch in your garden as it tends to contain more nutrients than other types of mulch, and it will break down better.

Pruning

It's better to prune some plants before spring. Summer flowering shrubs can preferably be pruned now as their flower buds develop with new growth, but wait a while to prune spring flowering shrubs as early pruning may inhibit their seasonal floral display.

Perfect 'Waterwise' techniques!

In these times of water restrictions, it is essential, whenever preparing a garden, to think of ways to do this in a water-saving fashion.

Perhaps this year, you should consider speaking to us about advice on or implementing water-wise landscaping and creating more hard landscaping spaces like patios, paving, retaining walls, etc., or consider an indigenous, or partly indigenous garden. At Windy Willows Wholesale Nursery in Honeydew, we pride ourselves on facilitating everything for waterwise gardens, including plants that need a low amount of water, rainwater harvesting, irrigation, and backup water supplies.

Remember, we are only ten minutes from the Northgate Shopping Centre, and here you can easily buy directly from the farm at wholesale prices. With over 200 varieties of trees, shrubs, perennials, groundcovers, and selected herbs from which to choose, including a wide range of indigenous plants, this is your one-stop shop to create the perfect spring garden, suitable for our conditions and times. Contact us or pop in and get all the advice you need. We look forward to meeting you and assisting you with some pleasing spring and summer gardening!

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