Spring Garden Refresh

For plant nurseries spring can be a CRAZY time of year when customers are ‘running around with their hair on fire’ trying to get their gardens into shape. While it’s true that spring is a great time for planting (and often a lovely time for being outside) it’s worth channelling some of that manic energy to get the absolute best results for your garden!

Defining the edges of the lawn is a great, quick way to improve the appearance of a garden. ‘Botanical trenching’ gives a soft, gentle appearance and literally costs nothing except a bit of time with a good shovel. It does require maintenance to stay in shape; a strimmer should be used when the lawn is mown to keep a neat and tidy appearance. Approximately twice a year you will need to redefine the edge with a trowel or shovel.   

Image: A tidy lawn will frame lush garden beds well and is a quick way to improve the appearance of your garden

Materials such as steel edging also look great; they are much more expensive and clients often baulk at the unexpectedly high price (Edging for even a small/medium garden will often cost $5-10k installed) I usually recommend 5mm  thickness; thinner products tends to buckle and look cheap. Timber edging tends to rot very quickly in the Trentham area.

A fresh layer of mulch also does wonders. I recommend fine grade pine bark mulch, eucy-mulch or bush mulch; something with an inconspicuous colour to allow the plants to be the star of the show. For completely new garden beds I apply the mulch at a thickness of 75mm. 

Ideally, new plants are purchased with an eye to the overall design of the garden. Planting in large, informal drifts reduces and simplifies maintenance requirements and usually looks better. For some quick, high-impact colour in a sunny position at Christmas time I recommend salvias. They suit our hot Australian summers and can be underplanted with spring bulbs to extend the flowering season.   

Enjoy your time outside, enjoy the creative process of gardening, and enjoy the feeling of sitting outside and sharing your garden with friends.

Happy spring!

Landscape Designer Kaz Krasovskis
Insta: @kazkrasovskis
www.kazkrasovskis.com.au