Gardening Tips: What is your Gardening Focus for This Year?

The spring and summer months are a great time to get into the swing of gardening. Whether you are new to gardening or have been on hiatus during the colder months, now is the perfect time to get back into it. Not only will it provide you with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment once the fruits of your labour start sprouting, but the benefits for your physical and mental health are also well documented. So, let’s look at a few tips to help you plan your gardening focus for this year.

Starting to Consider Your Gardening Focus

 Before you start making plans, it is always best to have a family get together to ensure your little bit of paradise is going to provide the right environment for everyone’s needs. Even if it is just you, it is still a good starting point to consider how you are going to use the garden.

And make sure you know which areas sunny and which areas are in shade at different times of the day as that will dictate the best places for seating and entertainment areas. It will also impact the planting because ‘right plant, right place’ is a mantra you should always consider!

Consider What Gardening Equipment You Need

If you’ve ever been frustrated with trying to garden without the proper tools, you’re not alone. It might be that you need the basics such as hand tools or large equipment such as a lawnmower but make a list because there is nothing worse than starting a project and getting stuck halfway because you haven’t got the right tools.

Buying the right gardening equipment and supplies can be a daunting task if you don’t know what you need. Before you make any big investments, take some time to do some research on various gardening tools and supplies. That way, when the time comes, you’ll be fully prepared with all the necessities that will make your gardening experience more enjoyable. To help you find what you need, you can find a variety of gardening equipment at Little Fields Farm. You will probably return to the website time and time again because as well as a broad range of gardening equipment, there is also a range of products for pets, poultry, horses, and farming!

What Matters to You?

Before you think about gardening, consider the bigger picture. What are your values? What is important to you and for your children’s future? That may seem a strange question but, in reality, this is a priority when considering your gardening plans and your gardening focus for this year.

Did you know that the total area of gardens in England is about four and a half times larger than that of our National Nature Reserves? That makes every single garden, however small, extremely important in terms of how it can make a positive environmental impact. That doesn’t preclude anyone from having hard landscaping for seating areas, beautifully moved grass for games or just lounging around, or neatly trimmed borders, but whatever your needs and preferences, there are some things to consider to help ensure a better environment – and to protect your children’s future.

So, let’s help you focus!

Peat-Free Compost

According to the National Trust, protecting peatlands is one of the most important natural ways of healing climate harm as these special landscapes store carbon, control flooding and create homes for wildlife.

Only a couple of years ago, it was quite challenging to get affordable, good quality peat-free compost, but that is no longer the case. Many garden centres have already made the decision to stop stocking compost containing peat, and even B&Q has committed to going completely peat-free for all bagged composts in 2023.

Of course, making your own compost is probably the very best option you could choose and if space is limited, there are options you might consider such as a worm composter or hot bin composter, all of which take up minimal space.

A Little Bit Of Wild

Even if you like everything to be very neat and tidy, perhaps you could find a little corner of the garden that’s just a little bit wild? The bugs will love you for it! Consider long grass, some nettles and other wildflowers that will just pop up of their own accord. Piles of logs are a great addition too.

What To Plant?

When planning your garden, consider if you have room for trees. There are lots of wildlife-friendly trees that are suitable for small gardens and if you make the right choice you’ll have fabulous blossom in the spring, great colour all summer, and juicy berries in the winter. These six trees are great examples of the options available.

Adding shrubs for structure helps to make gardening easy, with a good range of both evergreen and deciduous shrubs available for almost every position in the garden, and even in large posts.

Most shrubs make great habitats for wildlife and, like trees, if you choose shrubs that also have nectar-rich flowers that are good for insects in spring, and berries in autumn that attract birds, it will add a great deal of vibrancy to the garden.

Of course, no garden is complete without a range of flowers in borders, pots and/or hanging baskets. We all have different tastes, different soils, and different conditions, but you will still find plenty of options that are wildlife-friendly.

If you are buying flowers online, you will normally be able to do a specific search for wildlife-friendly options. If you are shopping at garden centres, look out for the ‘perfect for pollinators’ logo to help you make the best choices.

Consider Adding Bee Hotels And Birdhouses

Bee hotels and birdhouses are a great way to make your garden an inviting space for wildlife. Bees are important pollinators, and they’ll bring a sense of wonder to your garden as they buzz around and pollinate the plants. A birdhouse will also provide hours of entertainment for you and your family as you see various birds come in and out of the little home.

These additions will provide a natural habitat for the creatures in your area that might otherwise find it difficult to survive in urban areas. Not only will this help the environment and make your garden more welcoming, but it’ll also give you a great opportunity to observe nature up close when you see them come in and out of their homes.

Add Water

Water is one of the best ways to make gardens wildlife-friendly. Even just an old sink can be converted into a mini-pond and your children and grandchildren will love it. It’s amazing when you add water to the garden how quickly the frogs, toads, newts, dragonflies. and other creatures will find it. Just ensure that there’s an easy route out of the water for creatures.

Maybe Some Water Butts?

Seasons are becoming increasingly erratic and, in many areas, drought is becoming a real problem. If you have a nice garden with lots of plants, there will be times when you need to water it and, in dry spells, hosepipe bans are always a possibility, so why not consider adding water butts?

We hope the above tips will help you to clarify your gardening focus for this year and that you’ll soon have a beautiful garden that you and your whole family, and the resident wildlife, will be able to enjoy throughout the year.