Home and Garden Guide to Preparing your Home for Summer

 

Summer isn’t just all about having BBQ’s and mowing the lawn a few times a week. Here, we will look at how best to prepare yourself for Summer…if we ever do get a Summer in Ireland that is. There is almost always something to be done, strim the long weeds around trees and bushes, painting, varnishing of fences, windows to be repaired, drains to be cleared and we love to leave things until the Summer.

 

We think that these are all easily done then because the weather is better and it’s easier being outside What we forget is that everyone else in the country is doing the exact same thing so there are often long waits for supplies, tools etc.

 

Firstly, we will take a look at just a few quick and simple things that you can do to get nice and prepared.

 

Before you dust off your barbecue, keep reading for the tips and tricks to get your space set for the summer season…

  1. Give your home an exterior touch-up: This includes cleaning the windows, doors, and gutters. You can also repaint the exterior walls if necessary. This will give your home a fresh look and make it more welcoming.
  2. Decorate with summer brights: Add some bright colours to your home decor to create a summery vibe. You can use colourful throw pillows, curtains, or even paint an accent wall.
  3. Deep clean your BBQ: Before you start grilling, make sure your BBQ is clean and ready to use. Scrub the grates with a wire brush and clean the interior with soap and water.
  4. Perk up your garden furniture: Clean your garden furniture and add some new cushions or pillows to make it more comfortable. You can also repaint or refinish the furniture if necessary.
  5. Keep your space light and airy: Remove any heavy curtains or drapes and replace them with lightweight fabrics that allow natural light to enter your home.
  6. Get your garden ready: Remove any debris, dead leaves, and branches; mow the lawn, trim the hedges, and weed the flower beds. This will give your garden a fresh and tidy look and create the perfect backdrop for a summer spent outdoors12.
  7. Look out for mould growth: Summer is the perfect time for mould growth due to high humidity levels. Check for mould growth in damp areas such as bathrooms, basements, and attics.
  8. Fill your home with greenery: Incorporating a little greenery indoors is the perfect way to get your home ready for summer1. You can collect and paint a bunch of twigs from the garden or buy some indoor plants.

 

For Your Garden

 

CLEAN UP YOUR GEAR

Without the proper tools, you won’t succeed, but you don’t have to spend a fortune on hedge trimmers and lawnmowers to achieve success. Maintaining simplicity and orderliness is the key of a wonderful garden. Make sure you have the appropriate tools before setting out on your quest to create the ideal summer garden.

 

EMOVE FOILAGE AND WEEDS

Step three is quite similar to step three in that it involves basic garden upkeep, with the exception that this time we will also be getting rid of any weeds and dead plants. Weeding is undoubtedly the most tedious task (especially for those of you who aren’t great gardeners), but regrettably it is necessary if you want your garden ready for the summer. Whenever weeds appear in your lawn or in the cracks in your decking or paving slabs, pull them out. Purchase a bottle of weed killer from your neighbourhood gardening store to stop the growth of new weeds.

 

CARE FOR YOUR BOUNDARIES

Right, so now that your tools are prepared, it’s time to start planting! Your garden will undoubtedly want some attention, so get started by removing any dead foliage, which might include fallen leaves or plants that may not have made it through the winter. If your garden has borders where your flowers grow, you can clean up these areas and cultivate your soil by turning the dirt in these locations using a rake or shovel. Because the soil tends to harden over time if it is not broken up, doing this facilitates easier growth.

 

GROW FLORALS

Finding and planting flowers is going to be one of our more interesting tasks soon. Flowers are unquestionably a necessity if you want a garden that is vibrantly coloured. Planting flowers in the spring is essential for making sure your garden looks great in the summer, so buy your plants and seeds as soon as you can! Finding a space in your yard, digging a tiny hole, covering the seeds with dirt, and watering frequently (even when it rains) are all that are required to plant seeds. Your plants will be completely grown by the time summer rolls around if you sow your seeds in the spring.

 

MAINTAIN YOUR HEDGES

With all the dead leaves, blooms, foliage, and weeds removed, your garden will now start to look tidy and orderly. Work on your garden’s bushes or hedges now. Remove any stray twigs or trash that may have found its way inside the hedge before you start to cut it. To carefully trim your bushes, use a hedge trimmer or garden sheers. Once your hedges have been trimmed, you won’t need to take care of them for a while, making this a straightforward and occasionally even relaxing activity to complete.

 

CLEAN PATIOS AND DECKING

Especially during the winter, decking or patios can quickly start to look grimy. You have a lot of options for cleaning your deck or patio. Your patio or decking will become clean right away when you start by jet washing the surface and eliminating any debris. However, treating the area is recommended if you want it to stay clean. For example, if the area is a wooden deck, you should use varnish and paint to help maintain the wood. Use a patio sealant when cleaning a patio that might have paving slabs to make the area water-resistant, which keeps your patio clean and inhibits the growth of weeds.