January 25th, 2021 by Sarah Miles

With New Year comes New Year resolutions: a set of goals you’d like to achieve over the course of the year. The standard ‘wish list’ may have changed for many from getting fit, eating better, new job etc to things like improving their home environment. With most of us spending much more time at home in 2020 than ever before, making that space more attractive, more functional, and more usable is now a priority.

As we don’t really know when covid restrictions might end, we need to be prepared that being able to go out and socialise may still be some time away so when it comes to the spring and better weather, our outside spaces will, once more, be extremely important for us. If your garden didn’t quite measure up last year, or you just think you could do better in 2021, how about setting some New Year resolutions around improving your outdoor ‘room’ this year?

Create a blank canvas

When you think about improving your garden, your thoughts will no doubt turn to planting vibrant flowers and adding seating and perhaps creating new bedding areas, but actually it’s a good idea to take a step back and start with the basics. For many gardens, the biggest areas are lawns and hard surfaces, which may include patios, paths, and driveways. Get these areas in tip top condition first and you can create a blank canvas for your aesthetic additions later in the year.

Therefore, your 2021 garden goals, at least for the first part of the year, could be as follows:

Resolution 1: Get my lawn looking greener and healthier

A lush, green lawn sets your garden up perfectly. You could have all the flowers, trees, and ponds you like but if your lawn is yellow and patchy, it will bring the whole space down. This is something you can take steps to improve now. Most lawns will be quite waterlogged at the moment with the rain and the snow that we’ve had so jobs like cutting the grass are still not required, but it does create a good environment for applying some nutrients. Iron sulphate can help create a healthy, vibrant lawn by providing the nutrients it needs to grow stronger, be more resistant to pests, and become greener. It is commonly used by golf clubs and sports pitches to improve both the quality and the strength of grass. It can also help to eradicate moss.

Moisture in the grass at this time of year will help the iron sulphate absorb and, if you apply prior to an imminent rainfall this will also help to water it in. Adding iron sulphate now will give your grass a head start and allow you to get your grass looking good for spring when you will want to start using the garden more.

Resolution 2: Clean up ‘dirty’ drives and patios

Paths, drives, and patios are subject to the elements and bear the heaviest use all year round. Over time these surfaces become dirty and stained with one of the most common blights being black spots. The black spotting you see is black lichen; a combination of bacteria that attaches itself to the stone, sends tendrils down into it and forms a hard crust. Cleaning these areas up can provide a beautiful frame for your lawn and planting as well as improving the overall external look of your home. Don’t worry, you don’t have to get down on your knees and scrub, in fact that wouldn’t work anyway as black lichen is notoriously hard to remove, due to the features already listed. A product with active ingredient, specific to this issue, is the best solution.

Cleaning up these areas now will not only improve them visually, it can also make them a bit safer to walk on as lichen, algae, and mould combined with icy conditions can become a slip hazard. For black lichen use Pro-Kleen Black Spot Remover or Pro-Kleen Simply Spray Patio Cleaner for mould and algae, which can also be used on decking – another slippery surface in the winter. Both products are really easy to use, simply apply and leave to work, so your first two resolutions can actually be achieved with minimal effort.

Many other gardening jobs do need to wait until we have better weather, after all, nobody wants to be digging over frozen borders! But with these two under your belt in the early party of the year, you will be ready to get started on other things like garden design and planting in a couple of months.