Remember your garden P's

With spring well under way, there's no better time to make sure your garden is in tip-top condition to survive the summer months. So just follow the 5 P's...

Preparation
To prepare your garden for summer, hoe your plant beds to displace weeds and rake off any dead leaves and twigs from last year. Mow your lawn every few days to strengthen the deeper grass roots - essential to your lawn's health during heat waves.

Planting
Once your soil is weed-free, get down to your local garden centre where you can buy ready-grown plants to slot straight into your flower beds. For a lower cost, buy seeds or take stem cuttings from a friend's plants which you can nurture in your own garden.

Pruning
Once your soil is weed-free, get down to your local garden centre where you can buy ready-grown plants to slot straight into your flower beds. For a lower cost, buy seeds or take stem cuttings from a friend's plants which you can nurture in your own garden.

Protecting
Apart from covering your plants with insecticides to ward off any creatures that may destroy them, your biggest concern this summer should be the sun itself. Protect plants from wilting by watering them every few days. You should also soak your lawn with an inch of water each week and, when cutting it, raise the blade on your mower as taller grass holds moisture better. Remember to protect yourself too – wear thick gloves when handling plants or stems with thorns on!

Preserving
It's important that you keep the rest of your garden in order too - hose down your patio to prevent weeds and moss, creosote your fences to give them extra protection from the elements and put away tools after use so they don't rust in an unexpected downpour.