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I N S P I R A T I O N

Now That It’s Officially Spring

It’s Time To Get Your Garden Ready For Summer

Spring time has to be one of my favourites; countryside walks with budding bulbs & little lambs, pottering around in the garden but still cold enough for cosy evenings under beautiful wool blankets by the fire of an evening.

With This In Mind, And Warmer Days Ahead - Here Are Some Tips To Get Your Garden Summer Ready

Borders

March is a good time to mulch your borders, as long as the soil is wet. Mulch acts as a barrier against weeds, can provide nutrients, keeps the soil moist and insulates roots from the cold.

Before you start, make sure you have thoroughly weeded the bed and that you have sufficient mulching material – this could be leaf mould, compost, well-rotted manure or bark. Always leave a gap around the stem of plants. - The English Garden

Plants & Seeds

Plenty of flowers and vegetable crops can be sown in March in the UK, when the days are beginning to lengthen and become warmer. March is a good time to sow a huge variety of seeds, some of which can be sown direct and others sown indoors to be planted out after all risk of frost has passed.

Some crops, such as chillies and tomatoes, should be sown early in the year to give them the long growing season they need. Others, such as fast-growing beetroot and salads, can be started off early so you can enjoy them in late spring and early summer, but keep sowing them every few weeks to extend the harvest.

Hardy annuals can be sown direct outside, where they are to flower. These do best on 'poor' soil, so don't enrich it with fertiliser. Half-hardy annuals such as dahlias and cleome, and perennials are best sown under glass, and should be planted out into fertile soil after all risk of frost has passed. - Gardeners World

Patio & Furniture

With warmer months on the way this is the time that I will weed & pressure wash our patio & garden furniture - that way as soon as there is a sunny day you can sit outside and admire your beautiful garden and get on with fun jobs such as adding more potted plants or planting in borders!

I also like to use this time to really plan the outdoor space; whether its for an afternoon reading a book with a cold rosé or entertaining friends and family I want our outdoor space to feel as homely and welcoming as our indoor space!

Jasmine’s Styling Tips For Outdoor Spaces

Light after dark - festoon lighting is a great way to continue enjoying your garden after dark, stock up now from places such as Garden Trading so you’re prepared for warmer evenings to come! Another way I love to add light, is with lanterns in borders hung on shepherds hooks, not only do they add light at night but they create a break and point of difference in borders during the day light.

It goes without saying that outdoor cushions are a MUST for the garden, I love to use my 45x45 square cushions placed on every other chair around our garden table, alternating with our beautiful wool throws on the other chairs, styling this way not only adds comfort but also looks incredibly put together without too much effort.

I also use a mixture of my 50x50, 45x45 & 40x60 cushions on our outdoor sofa set. Scatter cushions on sofas work best in odd numbers so 3 for smaller sofas and 5 for larger, with 40x60 being a great size for larger outdoor chairs.

If you have loungers our 50x30 or bolster style is best suited and again add that real touch of luxury and comfort!

Another indoor to outdoor trick I love to use is adding a runner to our outside table, dotting small potted flowers or bud vases in clusters with candles in between to create a beautiful tablescape - this is such a great way to dress up your outdoor table when entertaining - I opt for our more neutral colour runners such as the ‘Nigella’ to act as a backdrop with the foliage / plants placed on top! With this in mind don’t forget to add contrasting or matching napkins to really finish off the look.

As Always instagram is a wonderful place to look for spring garden inspiration; from countryside views that inspire you to creators with beautiful gardens and useful tips - here’s a round up of our favourites;