Is your garden a mess after winter?

If you look out at your garden at this time of year and it's such a mess, you wonder where on earth to start, you're not alone. The problem is that most of us get a bit fed up with our gardens at the tail end of summer and start putting off any jobs. And we're not always brilliant at going back outside to clear up and plant next year's bulbs in the autumn, either.

Come springtime, the place is a tangle of dead plants, the grass is up to your knees, and the patio and its furniture have turned a lovely shade of mouldy green. But despair not; here are some great tips on bringing it all back to life, even if you have minimal gardening skills (including me).

The best starting point is to clear away the dead leaves and mow the lawn. It should take a little time, but once it's done, the garden will be transformed, and all the other jobs will seem much less daunting. And, if you need more help with your motivation, remember that the more work you put in now, the less you'll have to do later.

Below is your checklist:

1) Clear away leaves

2) Mow the lawn, but don't cut it too low at this time of year - leave at least 1.5 inches. You should also scarify (rake out) any moss, and if you want it to look lush all year, give it a feed.

3) Pruning - Most of us think pruning is a bit scary - we don't know when or how to cut things, and, often, we don't even know the names of the plants we are dealing with. With that in mind, here's the basics.

• a) Generally, it's best to avoid pruning when it's frosty because the frost will get into the cuts and make the plant die back even further.
• b) Always clean your cutting tools, or you will spread diseases. To clean, mix one part of bleach with nine parts of water.
• c) Plants need time to grow back before they flower, so don't prune spring plants now and try not to prune mid-summer plants too hard, although when it comes to late summer flowerers, you can be more ruthless.
• d) You should now prune; hydrangeas, ornamental grasses, buddleias, fuschias, mid to late-flowering clematis, hebes, evergreen trees and shrubs. Wait till late April/May for penstemons, and there are better times to prune lavender, which is best done at the end of summer (although you can remove deadwood).
• e) You can also prune roses - but not climbers and ramblers
• f) Cut back any dead growth and dig out last year's annuals.
• g) Herbs - you can cut back thyme, oregano, sage and rosemary, but not chives, as they are growing now.
• h) Fruit trees - you can prune young plums, but you should have pruned apples, pears, and cherries while they were dormant, i.e., from December to early March.

4) Weeding - believe it or not, you need to start weeding now. It will save a load of work later; otherwise, they establish themselves before the growing season. One great tip is also to remove any weeds from the garden walls, too, as left unchecked they will be at the perfect height to spread their seeds across the garden. Oh, and try not to stand on any new shoots as you do it.

5) Patios and pathways - You can use a pressure washer to clean off moss and lichens or brush and scrub them away. You can also use a patio cleaner, but watch out for ones with hydrochloric acid or bleach in them, as they will harm your plants.

6) Furniture and parasols - Several off-the-shelf cleaners, such as HG Mould spray, will remove mould and algae, or you can use white vinegar (although you will need to scrub a little harder). You can add a little white vinegar to the detergent when washing outside fabrics, such as cushions and sofa covers.

That may sound like a whole pile of work, but, in truth, none of it is too arduous, and you don't have to do it all simultaneously - you can do it over several weekends, between the rain (and the snow)!

If you'd like to talk to an agent for more personalised advice, our team are always on hand to help. We'd love to hear from you, whether just a quick chat or a no-obligation property valuation.

Warm wishes,

The team at Rolstons.