We spend a lot of time outside in our garden.  Daytimes are spent hanging with the chickens, or working on our (almost) 3 acres, clearing land, planting veggies, and making things “pretty”.  So, after everyone has been tucked in (critters, not necessarily kids) we tend to slow it down, but still want to enjoy the space we have spent so much time creating.

With so many garden zones at our home, we have lots of ways to enjoy the evenings together.

We have a grassy knoll (although the grass is being a little slow to come in) that is perfect for star gazing, as well as a fire pit that can fit the whole family, with marshmallow sticks.  A charcoal BBQ set up, with chairs that is perfect for cooking a slow dinner, filled with conversation, and then areas to set up tents, or even camp out under the stars.

But with so many different “rooms” outside, it is hard to keep everything looking good, and nicely presented, but that doesn’t stop us from trying.

Here are a few easy tips to keep your garden, big or small, looking great all year round.

Top Dress and Tidy

A yard or so of fresh topsoil not only does wonders for the health of your plants, but also “dresses” up your garden beds, adding a nice, dark layer of soil over last year’s beds.  We do a quick sling weed and then top dress each spring, and I usually sneak in a few seasonal annuals for a shot of early colour.

*Tip:  grabbing the weeds when they are still small, and before they have gone to flower is KEY for a garden.  If you wait too long, you will have WAY more work. Do it early enough and you can do a hard weed in the early spring, and then once a month or so just to manage the ones who snuck by.

Have a Keen Eye and Carry a Big Rake

We have a huge assortment of garden rakes at our place.  From soft rakes that do an easy clean up of newly sprouted beds, to a heavy, oversized lawn rake that grabs EVERYTHING in its path.  With so many trails and zones, running the rake over these spots will help remove the debris left over from last season, and loosen up any sprouting weeds.

Plus, the kids LOVE to wield a rake, and the bigger the better!  This is a great job to pass along to them, and it gets your outdoor clean up done quicker.

Remove the Muck

Buildup from leaves and other debris can happen, especially if you live in an area with a lot of rain or snow melt.  During your garden tidy be sure to pop up and check your gutters to ensure they are clear and flow easily.  Repair any leaks and blockages and you can save yourself a lot of repair work later on.  An overflowing gutter can cause damage to your roof, siding or even foundation, and that is an expense you don’t want.

Also check any ground drains, and get everything clean, and muck free.

Have Bright Ideas

Big or small, using landscape lighting can brighten up any garden.  We love to change up the lighting theme in our zones to help set the mood, but landscape lights can also be used for safety on dark paths.

Some of our spots are too far away from the house for underground wiring (not to mention the pain and expense of putting that in) so we will find a few, high quality solar lights to do the trick for us.

There are so many varieties to choose from these days, including lanterns and table lights, you can actually bring the light to ALL the areas in your garden.

Nurture, and Attend

Plants highlight a garden and provide the art work on its walls, but dead plants will quickly ruin your masterpiece.  It is so easy to run through your garden beds weekly and remove dead flower buds, and trim back broken or damaged branches. This can also be important for plants that like to self seed, like the Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla) or the Bachelors Button (Centaurea cyan’s) Left to go to seed and these friendly plants will start to take over your garden beds, pathways, and anywhere else they can drop a seed.  It is best to trim the flowers BEFORE seeding to prevent this.

Be sure to also fill your garden with plants that will give back to the environment.  Food crops for you, as well as plants and flowers that will help the bees, butterflies and birds be healthy.

*Tip:  If you find you have gaps in your bloom times and plantings, back fill with annuals that can provide ground cover, colour or height.  A quick pop into the nursery for a few flats can do wonders for a young garden and help you see what will work for perennial spacing the next season.

Your garden should be an extension of your home, so spend some time out there treating it like a cherished room and you will end up with a  space you WANT to spend time in.