Getting the garden ready for spring

Spring is when the garden jobs pile up, and most of them need a quantity before you can order: tonnes of topsoil, bags of bark, a roll or two of turf, the right size of water butt, the number of fence panels. Measuring each area once and working every figure out together saves a lot of small trips to the garden centre.

The planner works in the order the jobs depend on each other: the lawn and the soil first, then the borders, then water, then the boundaries and the buildings.

Step 1: Repair or renew the lawn

Rake out moss and thatch and fill low spots, then overseed the bare patches or lay turf for a larger repair. Early spring or early autumn are the best times for new grass. For a whole new lawn, compare turf and seed first.

Step 2: Feed the borders and mulch

Clear weeds, dig in compost or topsoil and cover the soil with bark or mulch to keep the moisture in and the weeds down. Raised beds need topping up with fresh soil before planting.

Step 3: Catch the rain

A water butt on a downpipe gives you free, soft water for the garden, and lets you water without a hosepipe during a dry spell. Size it from the roof area connected to the downpipe, and check that the gutters are clear first.

Step 4: Repair the boundaries and the paving

Winter gales often take out a fence panel. Count the panels and posts for the run, and check any paving for loose slabs and weeds while the ground is soft enough to work.

Step 5: Plan the bigger jobs

If this is the year for a new seating area or a shed, work out which suits the garden before you buy: decking on a slope, a patio on level ground, and a proper base for a shed.

Before you start

• The length and width of every lawn area and border.
• The soil: heavy clay, light sand or loam, which decides how much topsoil or compost to add.
• The roof area draining to the downpipe, if you plan a water butt.
• A dry spell for fencing, paving repairs and any wood treatment.
• Local rules on fence height and any hosepipe restrictions.

Mistakes that cost people money

• Sowing grass seed in a cold, wet spell or in midsummer heat.
• Piling bark against the stems of plants and shrubs.
• Buying a water butt that is too small for the roof area it drains.
• Fixing new fence panels to posts that are rotten at the base.
• Laying turf on ground that has not been levelled and firmed.

Frequently asked questions