Get Prepared to do your garden up during the COVID-19 quarantine!

Many people are being advised to work from home, and schools are closing for the foreseeable future during this coronavirus pandemic. We have all been advised by the parliament to take social distancing seriously to slow the spread of the virus and to lessen the burden on the healthcare system. During this time, although there is a lot of uncertainty, one thing is for sure – we have plenty of time to knuckle down and get all the jobs on our to do list done!

With the forecast looking good over the next few weeks it is the time to get those dreaded garden jobs out of the way, here are a few ideas to get prepared for the possible quarantine.

1. Make a list of all the jobs you’ve been meaning to do – maybe you’ve been meaning to spruce up the flower beds, do some weeding, and re plant that dead patch of grass. You might even be looking to take on a bigger job like building that summer house you’ve always wanted. Whatever jobs need doing, give yourself a clear plan.

2. Get down to your local garden center whilst you still can and stock up on things like seeds, tools and anything else you may need. If your to do list is more ambitious – like building a– get yourself down to B&Q to gather things you need, things like fence paint, If you’d like to save money perhaps consider going to a more local (in Preston we have Integrates wood house).

3. Clean and fix what you can, for example: Clean and sharpen any gardening tools to prepare for weeding and planting, Maintain any fences or walls with a lick of protective paint, power wash the drive, the patio and maybe even the decking (don’t act like you’ve not been putting it all off for over winter!)

4. Now’s the perfect time to give your greenhouse a good clean, ready for you to plant in spring. Wash the outside of your greenhouse with disinfectant or detergent, to remove algae, moss and general grime. This will let in more light during the growing months, while removing potential pests and disease that can survive in the smallest nooks and crannies.

5. Install a water butt in your garden to make the most of any rainfall. Harvesting rainwater is essential for environmentally friendly gardening, and it is the best for plants and vegetation (As tap water often leans more toward alkali). Peak demand for water in the hotter months often forces water companies to resort to groundwater reserves and streams, which is harmful to the environment and costly for us as consumers.