Whether it is your flower bed, vegetable garden, or patio garden all your hard work in the beginning of spring will set you up for an enjoyable summer. Here are a few spring ideas that you may want to try and introduce and consistently carry out for long-term success.

• Clean up your garden secateurs regularly, all hedge shears, lawn mowers and edge trimmers need regular good care and maintenance.

Water, water, water

• Implement good watering practices that will ensure efficient and effective watering to your plants — don't waste water it is precious and a vital ingredient to a healthy garden.
• Be mindful of the time of day when watering is done. Early morning and early evening is ideal, as evaporation is limited. Watering should never be done at midday and remember that a good soaking is far more beneficial and effective than a light sprinkling.
• The perfect complement to any indigenous or non-indigenous garden is rain water and we cannot rely entirely on rain water. The avid gardener must "save rain" and utilize this natural water for gardening effectively.

Other things

• Spring also brings an opportunity to plant under your trees with popular indigenous stars, such as the Clivia miniata and Plectranthus Cape Angels. They add a wonderful colour burst in any dappled shade and once established, are remarkably hardy, showing beautiful deep greens right through winter.
• Create an ambience in your garden at night time and install lighting suitable for outdoor conditions.
• For the overall health of your entire garden, spring is the perfect time to add organic fertilisers. Generally use pellet-form fertilisers, as they are easy to spread and they are often available in a slow release-version. But organic fertilisers come in many different disguises — just make sure that it is organic — your garden and the environment will reap the benefit. Regular fertilising will help to maintain plants for a longer period.
• Try planting a new type of garden or vegetable bed using wooden planter beds otherwise known as Rainestax. These wooden planter beds are ideal for the "grow-your-own" gardener. Rainestax are easy to assemble and are ideal for the gardener who wants to create an instant raised vegetable, succulent or herb garden. Rainestax are only available in different sizes at GardenShop Bryanston. View their beautifully planted examples of vegetable and herb gardens.