Sometimes we can have all the best intentions, but time and life just get in the way, and before you know it, summer is here and you, and your garden are completely unprepared.

While it might be too late to proudly watch your hand planted bulbs blossom into beautiful seasonal flowers, there’s certainly still time to get your summer garden into shape.

We’ve listed a few last-minute tips and tricks to brighten up your plot so you can make the most of it in the warmer months.

Plant Pots

Once you’ve cleared out your garden, picked the weeds, and mown the lawn – it can be quite disheartening to see an uninspiring, albeit tidy, expanse of land before you. Why not add a quick splash of colour to your grounds with some vibrant ready grown plant pots?

Leaving your plant pot purchases to a little later can have its advantages, as you’re likely to come across a few bargains, and the flowers you choose can last into the early months of autumn if you play your cards right.

You might have missed your chance to have flowing branches of clematis, but if you opt for a late summer bloomer such as lilies you can stretch your summer garden well into September.

Before you decide where to put them, work out where gets the most sunlight throughout the day – that way you can create a garden that’s really thriving!

Buy Full Grown Plants

It’s not just plant pots that you can buy ready grown – shrubberies, trees, and bedding plants can all be bought at a mature stage, giving you the opportunity to build an instantly beautiful garden.

While this is a more expensive way of achieving your dream plot, it will keep your garden looking just the way you like it year after year – without the initial frustrating wait for your labours to pay off.

However, you will need to put some effort into their upkeep, so this would only be worthwhile if you see yourself (or someone else in the household) being green fingered in the future. 

If you are thinking of investing in more permanent additions to your garden, consider going down the evergreen route – ensuring that you have something beautiful to look at out of your window all year long.

Hanging Baskets

If you don’t have a lot of ground space to work with, hanging baskets can be a lovely addition to help brighten up the outdoors. As well as not taking up much space, they provide pops of colour right at eye level – so everyone will notice them.

To see the benefit of your own home grown hanging baskets, you would have to start work in April. However, never fear, your local garden centre should have plenty of options for hanging baskets that are ready to bloom and looking for a home! You can also see exactly how they look and trail down when you buy them, avoiding any disappointment if your baskets don’t live up to your expectations.

It’s not just flowers that can grow in hanging baskets through – why not try your hand at some home grown fruit such as strawberries of tomatoes which can grow very well in this environment. As well as being a tasty addition to your summer recipes, they can both be an attractive addition to any garden.

Accessories

It’s not just foliage that can brighten up your garden, outdoor accessories can also help pull the place together. Why not fill that barren corner with a stone birdbath, or sundial? Or perhaps place a comfy bench in the suntrap up the back, so you can enjoy the best of the day in comfort?

You could even try draping some fairy lights around any trees or fences, to help bring a bit of light to the garden once the sun begins to set. It’s a simple addition, but can make the place feel like a special little grotto in those summer evenings!

Decorating with accessories can be a welcome alternative if you don’t have the time (or patience!) to dedicate to the upkeep of your garden. While you should ensure that everything is kept clean and in good condition to preserve it, you can minimise time spent doing any actual gardening. If that’s not your thing.

Prepare for Summer Holidays

Lastly, if you’re going on holiday – make sure all your hard work creating a beautiful garden doesn’t go to waste! Your plants will need regular tending and TLC, and if you’re jetting off for a fortnight you might find that your garden isn’t exactly how you left it…

However, if you take some time before you go to prepare, you can stand a good chance of returning to a beautiful summer garden.

Before you go, make sure that all routine chores are up to date and even try to get ahead of yourself. Weed the borders, mow the lawn, clip the hedges and do a quick once over to make sure you’ve removed any dying flowers from your plants to help ensure that you return to a blooming backyard.

Lastly, try to give your plants and crops a thorough soaking as close to your departure as possible, so that they won’t go thirsty while you’re gone. After that all you can do is hope for the odd spot of rain, or perhaps ask a neighbour to pop over in your absence to give your baskets a little shower.