Spring is In the Air – Are You Ready?
Spring is a time of celebration and renewal, but it is a season that seems all too fleeting. Make the most of this magical time of year.
Spring is historically recognised as a period of renewal, a time when we can see all of nature recover from the seemingly endless winter and return to life. Many describe spring as their favourite season of all, and perhaps for that reason it seems to be over almost as soon as it has started.
Here are three tips for making the most of the spring and preparing for the summer to follow.
Get out in the conservatory
Part of the reason spring seems so fleeting is that we tend to miss the fact that it is underway. By mid February, the daffodils are starting to poke through the earth and other small signs of nature’s magic appear.
Of course, they are often doing battle with weather that can still be described as wintery, so the experts at Caulfield Conservatories say this is an ideal time to get your conservatory back into use. Many people almost forget they own a conservatory during the winter, and by the time they open it up again, summer is upon us.
Get out there now and start enjoying the magic from behind glass!
Check the mower
One day the grass is looking forlorn and half dead, the next thing you know, a couple of spring showers and some sunshine and it is up round your ankles. It will be ready for the first cut of the season before you know it – is your mower ready for action?
If you have a petrol mower, now’s the time to give it a service. Clean the spark plug, check the oil and make sure it fires up OK. If it seems reluctant, try some fresh petrol. Modern unleaded has a shorter shelf life than you might think.
Even if you have an electric mower, there are checks to be made. For example, when did you last sharpen the blade? Experts recommend doing so twice each season, although given that many of us leave it for three or four years, making it an annual task should be sufficient. There are online guides to doing it yourself, although a local lawnmower expert will do the job in a matter of minutes.
Clear the greenhouse
Now is the perfect time to give the greenhouse a clean and tidy before pressing it into another season of use. Give it a thorough wash inside and out to remove any moss or slime, sweep out the plant debris from last year and give every surface a good dose of garden disinfectant.
This will get rid of the overwintering pests and bacteria that are able to survive in the tiniest nooks and crannies. Don’t forget to also wash your plant pots and seed trays – that way you give yourself the best fighting chance of raising healthy and disease-free plants and produce over the coming season. When you’re done, ventilate the greenhouse thoroughly for two or three days to allow everything to dry out.
