David Domoney shares his summer gardening tips
Summer is just around the corner, so now is the time for gardeners to put some work in so that they are able to enjoy it in the warmer months to come.
To give an idea of what needs to be done in the garden to get it summer-ready, David Domoney shared his top tips with views of ITV’s This Morning.
The gardening expert demonstrated how to make borders look fab, grow fruit, and choose the perfect containers for flowers and plants.
He said: “Spring is a great time of year, especially for a gardener. Once we’re enjoying a little bit of the better weather, there’s plenty to be getting on with to help your garden spring into summer in style.”
1. Perfect boarders
Before Britons go to the garden centre to buy lovely colourful plants, the expert advised spending a moment to invest a little bit of time in helping the soil because believe it or not, “the soil is the biggest living thing in the garden”.
Picking up a handful of soil, David said: “There is more micro-organism life in this handful of soil than there are humans on this planet and feeding this soil, makes sure that everything that grows in it grows healthy and to its best.”
The expert instructed that the “first thing to do” is to dig the soil over to get some air in and remove the weeds, taking out as much root as possible to “stop them growing back”.
Gardeners then want to add “plenty of organic matter, ” a “peat-free border booster”. David instructed: “Get that into your border and fork it in and that will feed the microorganisms in the soil.”
Finally, for those who want to add a little colour and “cheer up” their boarders before all the herbaceous perennials start to pop up, the expert said gardeners could pick up little primroses which come to “a fiver for the whole box”.
Don’t miss…
‘Game-changing’ solution to ‘kill gravel weeds overnight’ and ‘remove moss’[TIPS]
Four ‘effective home remedies’ to kill bed bugs and ‘eliminate an infestation’[EXPERT]
‘Magic’ 75p item that ‘works better than white vinegar’ to fix ‘rough’ towels[COMMENT]
2. Start growing fruit
Another task gardeners can start to do this month is to grow their own fruit. David said: “For a gardener, there’s nothing more rewarding than enjoying the fruits of your own labour, literally. There is something so satisfying about growing your own food.”
For gardeners to grow their own fruit, the expert noted that Britons don’t need a big garden as fruits such as red or black currants can “grow just as easily” in a container, likewise gooseberries or blueberries. But for those with a bit of space, David said: “Blackberries make really good climbers.”
For gardeners who only have space for one tree in their backyard, the gardening guru recommends opting for an apple tree. To plant apple trees, the first job is to dig in the hole and add in some organic matter, otherwise known as rotted manure. Gardeners can grow a range of apples from just one tree, claimed David if they purchase a “family tree”.
When buying an apple tree the expert urged that gardeners need to make sure it is either “self-fertile” (so it pollinates itself to produce the fruit) or that there are “plenty of other fruit trees in your neighbourhood” so that they can pollinate with each other.
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
3. Add colour through containers
David claimed that borders “aren’t the only way to get colour into your garden” as containers are “great to put flower colour just where you need it” maybe on the balcony, the patio or even outside the front door as “they’re so very versatile”.
The expert explained: “The first thing you want to do is fill it [the container] with plenty of peat-free compost and start by adding some evergreen structure.” David added a small cypress conifer and a hebe to the container.
He noted that these evergreens will “give colour” to the container “almost all year round” so that when the spring flowering plants finish gardeners can add in their summer flowering plants.
As well as adding plants to containers, it is “important” that gardeners ensure that there is good drainage to avoid plants becoming “waterlogged and rot”. To avoid this David uses wine corks and places them underneath the container to raise them off of the ground.
Source: Read Full Article