TwentyOne

Featured in TwentyOne, Century 21’s property and lifestyle magazine, for its Spring 2017 edition, we put together nine key jobs for a high impact spring garden clean up, covering everything from timber decks to furniture and planting.

We started with the timber deck: scrub off moss and mould with a stiff broom and hose, or mix a wash of three parts water to one part oxygen bleach with a splash of ammonia free dishwashing detergent (vinegar works as a substitute). Leave it for fifteen minutes, rinse well, then finish with an oil based sealer. Weeds should come out while still small, before they flower and spread seed, and mulch around young plants keeps weeds and pests down while holding moisture in the soil. Overgrown pond plants need dividing and repotting every year or two, and deciduous trees do best when only the branches too tall or wide are cut out. We also pointed readers to the front garden, which gives visitors their first impression of the house, and to a fresh coat of paint or stain on tired fences, walls and pergolas for an instant lift.

It is a reminder that a garden that feels cared for through spring usually comes down to a handful of well timed, practical jobs rather than a full overhaul. You can read the latest version of TwentyOne online here.