‘Biggest mistakes’ people make in their gardens in spring

Chelsea Flower Show: Carol Klein explains prairie planting

With March coming to an end, now is the perfect time to start working on the garden ready for the warmer months. April is one of the most important months of the gardening calendar as it’s often when people start planting their crops, flowers and plants that will thrive in the months ahead.

However, for those who are new to gardening or perhaps aren’t as seasoned as the pros, mistakes can occur.

Whether it’s positioning a plant in the wrong place, not watering plants enough or overwatering, there’s plenty that can go wrong in the garden.

With this in mind, Brand PR Manager at Embryo, Jo Threlfall shared some of the “biggest mistakes” people make in their gardens exclusively with Express.co.uk from the Garden Ninja, Lee Burkhill.

The gardening expert has shared his tips on how Britons can prepare their gardens for spring and summer.

Lee has also shared some of the biggest mistakes people make when looking after their gardens over the spring and summer.

The garden pro said the “biggest mistake” gardeners make is “packing too many different plant specimens into their gardens”.

He continued: “As garden centres are packed full of bright flowering specimens (usually whatever is looking good that weekend), gardeners tend to buy one of this and that without necessarily considering if they go with the rest of the plants already in the garden or if there’s space for it.

“Whilst I don’t want to take the excitement of buying plants away from anyone, carefully considering grouping plants or buying in threes or fives will make sure they don’t simply disappear into a pick-and-mix garden.

Don’t miss…
Gardening expert says to ‘regularly’ mow the lawn now [LATEST]
Gardeners share how to make ‘magic homemade spray’ to remove weeds [INSIGHT]
Buckingham Palace’s ‘whimsical’ gardens are easy to replicate at home [ANALYSIS]

“Using multiples brings consistency to the space and really makes you consider if the plant is worth buying.”

Lee suggested considering what height gardeners are looking for in their gardens and what the overall conditions are.

The gardening expert also suggested trying to repair colours or specimens “for a more cohesive look”.

Another “common mistake” gardeners make is removing plants during the winter months.

Looking for a new home, or just fancy a look? Add your postcode below or visit InYourArea

While gardeners may think they’re removing weeds or dead trees, they could actually be removing dormant plants that just look dead.

Lee continued: “If you’ve just moved into a new house or garden, it’s worthwhile watching the garden for the first year to see what blooms when and how big things get.

“Only after a year should you consider editing it. It’s a real backwards step to simply pull everything out for a blank canvas.

“A blank canvas garden is incredibly hard to work with as a beginner.

“Established trees and shrubs should be kept where possible as they provide height and structure, not to mention carbon capture.”

It can be hard to know whether a plant is simply dormant or dead but there are a few signs to look out for.

Firstly, bend the branches of the plant. If they break with a loud snap then it’s likely dead.

Gardeners can also scrape the bark of the plant with a fingernail to check if it’s alive. If it’s green, then it’s likely still alive.

Checking the base of the plant will also indicate whether the plant is still alive. There will likely be new growth if the plant is still alive.

Source: Read Full Article