Get ahead with these garden tasks for a vibrant spring!

With the weather taking a sudden turn for the cold and dreary and long nights creeping in with every passing day, the warm embrace of Spring may feel like something that’s far off. It’s best to stay on the ball so that when the first sunny days of early spring roll around, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running!

If you’ve long since retreated inside but are already planning to create a vibrant garden full of life and blooms next Spring so you can enjoy it from your composite decking, there are a few things you can take care of now that will have you thanking yourself later on.

Compost, compost, compost

One of the most annoying things about late autumn and early winter is falling leaves, especially if you have composite decking and fencing. While they sound harmless, hundreds of falling leaves every day generally means a sweeping spree is never too far behind.

So, with the nuisance they cause, you should at least get something out of it! Fallen leaves make excellent compost, so once you’ve swept them off your composite deck into a pile, stick them straight in the compost bin to benefit from next year. In a couple of months, they’ll make a nutritious plant topper, and in a year or so, they’ll break down into great seeding soil!

Replenish your soil

When it comes to compost, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. If you’re an avid gardener who’s spent the last few weeks pruning, picking, and putting your garden to bed for the winter, chances are you’ve got a few extra piles of vines and leaves lying around. If your compost bin is already full, don’t worry – there’s another way around it that only requires a shovel!

Burying your plant cuttings and organic waste can work just like a nutrient-rich compost. Simply find a patch of soil in your garden that could use a little extra care, dig a hole, fill it with your organic waste, and bury it again. In about three months, the material will break down, enriching the soil and leaving you with fresh, fertile earth ready for planting come Spring!

Sweep and clear the deck

We briefly touched on this earlier, but with all the falling leaves and debris flying about with the wind, your deck is going to get dirty, whichever way you spin it. The last thing you want come March time next year is to have to spend the best part of a day clearing off and sorting out your composite decking, so it’s good to go again for springtime. If you brush off the leaves as and when they fall and give your deck a hose down when needed in intervals between now and next year, when it comes time to bring the garden furniture out of storage, all you need to do is a brief scrub and hose down, and you’ll be ready to have lunch alfresco once again!

Get a head start on planting

If you’re missing the joy of planting as the colder months settle in, don’t worry – there are still a few things you can plant in November to keep your green thumb active! Now is a great time to get garlic and shallots into the ground, as they thrive in the cold and will be ready to grow come spring. You can also plant hardy spring bulbs like tulips and daffodils and when they begin to bloom, you’ll know that spring is on the way.

However, if you’re looking to add a bit of colour and life to the garden for the winter season, plant evergreen shrubs or winter bedding plants like pansies and primrose, and you can enjoy plant life all year round. Even if the planting season is winding down on the whole, there’ll always be a few trusty plants you can rely on to stick around all year.

If all this talk of Spring has you thinking about a garden upgrade, there’s no better way to do it than with composite fencing and decking! At North Valley Composites, our decking boards and fence panels are low-maintenance, durable, and effortlessly stylish. With five stunning colours to choose from, you have a range of options to help you create your perfect garden!

From the bold tones of Black Ash to the chic greys of Driftwood and classic brown hues of Golden Oak, you’ll find everything you need right here! If you have any questions about any of our composite products, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team on 01282 677300, and we’ll be happy to help!