Your garden has sprung or is slowly springing back to life. Your grass is greening, your flowers are blooming, and your desire to head outside and enjoy the good weather is increasing. Here are a few spring garden care tips that will set you up well for summer.

Care for your lawn

After its winter snooze, your lawn is springing to life – or trying to – which means it’s hungry. Spring garden care rule #1: Feed your lawn with a lawn builder. This will help strengthen roots, promote growth and thicken your lawn.

If your lawn is looking patchy, sow some seed and apply top dress to fill in dips and holes. Use either a specialised weed free top dressing mix or a washed sand.

Spread the top dressing over the top of the lawn at a depth of about 4 to 7mm, rubbing it into the lawn with the back of a rack or lawn level. Ensure that at least 1/3 of the leaf is poking through the soil.

For established lawns, weekly watering will be sufficient. Ensure heavy watering periods rather than shallow water applications, as this will promote deeper roots and a healthier lawn.

Mowing the lawn at a longer length will also help the roots grow longer, building a more drought resistant lawn – and let’s face it, there are some pretty bloody hot days awaiting us!

Plant a veggie patch

Make a great summer salad from your very own veggie patch!

Plant beans, carrots, celery, chillies, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, leek, lettuce, melon, potato, pumpkin and tomato.

Prepare vegetable gardens by forking mushroom compost or cow manure through the garden, then giving a thorough water before planting. Add blood and bone and sweeten the soil with garden lime.

Protect vegetable and flower seedlings with animal-friendly snail pellets (use as per product instructions).

For a great harvest, plant blue, purple or yellow flowers near your veggie patch. Bees are especially attracted to these colours and will help pollinate your vegies.

Spring garden care rule #2: Water gardens regularly as spring flowering plants use a lot of water when in flower.

Get on deck

Spring garden care rule #3 – make the most of the warmer months!

In 2012, domain.com.au estimated that adding a deck could increase a property’s value by up to $100,000. Given how the property market has skyrocketed since, it’s probably more now. Cheaper than adding a large extension to your home, decking is the most cost effective and time efficient method of adding square metres to your home.

But getting decked out is about more than just finance, it’s about lifestyle.

Australians love outdoor entertaining – especially during the summer months, which are fast approaching! One of the ways you can have more fun in the sun while investing in the value of your property is to add a deck.

If you home lends itself to it, create flow between internal and external spaces by having your outdoor living area lead off an indoor entertaining area. You’ll get more use of the deck if it’s accessible from a communal space.

Check if you need to get council approval. Not all decks need it, but some do.

And remember this is an investment in quality time with your family and friends, as well as the value of your property. That means you want a structurally sound deck that will withstand the test of time. So make sure you have it professionally designed and installed.

About Empire Walls

We ensure each client receives personalised service, their retaining wall is fit for purpose and we guarantee our retaining walls from the ground up. Retaining walls are just the start – offered as part of our complete landscaping services, which also includes decking.

• For examples of our work or if you’re after a service not listed here, please see empirewalls.com.au.
• For more information and/or a free quote, call Adam on 0421 573 001 or email empirewalls@live.com.au.
• For free landscaping tips and to stay in touch, follow us on Facebook.

We’re in the depths of winter and it is bloody cold, there’s no doubt! It seems like spring is far, far away, but it will be here before you know it. So here are four things you should do in August to prepare your garden for spring and ensure your little pocket of the great outdoors reaches its full potential.

1. Check for repairs. Exposed to the elements, retaining walls and decks take a beating during winter. And some of the damage caused to these structures can be dangerous, so be sure to check if any maintenance is required.

a. Here are some tips on:

i. What to check your retaining wall for; and

ii. How to protect your deck.

2. Plant and prune. It’s time to trim your fruit trees and roses, and transplant deciduous trees and shrubs while they’re still dormant. Plant fruit trees, top up the veggie patch and consider a sustainable, low environmental impact mulch that will enrich your soil as it breaks down. If you’d prefer flowers over food, it’s time to plant your annuals.

a. Tip: Prune at a 45 degree angle. This helps the plant heal better and therefore limits the chances of pests or diseases taking hold. If you have pruned plants that are infected with pests, sterilise the tools used to avoid spreading disease.

3. Weed and feed. It’s time to rip out the weeds, maybe throw down some wood chip so you can reduce their regrowth. Treat your plants and your lawn to a slow release fertiliser. If you’re laying new turf, the end of August is a good time to do so.

a. Tip: If you have a furry friend, be sure to get a pet friendly fertiliser.

4. Complete landscaping projects. The fourth and final tip to prepare your garden for spring, but by no means the least important. By the time spring/summer rolls around, you want your outdoor entertaining area to be fully established, not a construction zone. Now is the time to install landscaping features like retaining walls, decks, fencing, brickwork etc.

a. Tip: We offer complete landscaping services and specialise in retaining walls. Contact us for an obligation free consultation and quote.

About the author: Empire Retaining Walls offers residential and commercial customers, including builders and architects, practical and aesthetically pleasing landscaping services and solutions. Whether you’re looking to make a big impression, add value to your home, improve your lifestyle through the creation of an enjoyable (perhaps even enviable!) outdoor space, or just maintain that space, we’ve got you covered with our complete landscaping services. For examples of our work, please refer to the Empire Retaining Walls online ‘Portfolio’.

Here are our three top landscaping tips for homeowners who want to make the most of their properties now, while investing in their increased value for the future.

1. Install a retaining wall.

If you have a sloping yard, or it’s prone to flooding, a retaining wall will level out the yard making it more accessible and improve drainage. Practically, retaining walls prevent soil erosion and generally make your yard a safer place.

Aesthetically they can also make stunning landscaping features, taking your average backyard from drab to fab…  Imagine having a split level backyard – tiered flower beds, outdoor entertaining areas, a grassy knoll or two. Think designer appeal but for a fraction of the cost.

And that’s just the backyard! What about the front?

Create a stunning first impression with a spectacularly designed retaining wall that separates your home from the street. It will increase privacy, in some cases reduce noise and block unattractive views.

Consider retaining wall materials>

2. Erect a deck

Decking isn’t just for those who have a pool. Cheaper than adding a large extension, decking is the most cost effective and time efficient method of adding square metres to your home.

If you home lends itself to it, create flow between internal and external spaces by having your outdoor living area lead off an indoor entertaining area. You’ll get more use of the deck if it’s accessible from a communal space.

In 2012, domain.com.au estimated that adding a deck could increase a property’s value by up to $100,000. Given how the property market has skyrocketed since, it’s probably more now.

Read more about getting on deck>

3. Easy care lawns and gardens

According to domain.com.au, a Michigan University study found that homeowners achieved a 109 per cent return on every landscaping dollar spent – higher than any other home improvement. The same Michigan University research found good landscape design increased perceived home value by 5–11 per cent.

For your enjoyment and resale value, you want something that looks fabulous but is relatively low maintenance. Consider laying hardy new turf, minimising the number of plant species in your garden to make it easy to care for and to give a more uniform look. Irrigation systems are also a big winner.

Click here for autumn lawn and garden care tips>

Empire Retaining Walls offers residential and commercial customers, including builders and architects, practical and aesthetically pleasing landscaping services and solutions. Find out how we can help you today>

As the mornings and evenings become crisper, and the leaves start to fall, it’s easy to assume your garden is basically shutting up shop for winter. But just like winter is the right time to put in hard yards for your summer beach body, autumn is the perfect time to set up the foundations for a gorgeous spring garden.

Lawn maintenance in autumn

You’ll start to see less growth on the top of your lawn but, don’t be fooled, the roots are still growing beneath the surface. Feed your lawn using a slow release lawn food. This will help develop a stronger root system and grow thicker grass.

First check if there is a lawn feed suited to your particular type of grass. Then aerate the soil, using a garden fork to loosen the ground. Ensure you follow the safety instructions on the packaging, especially if you have children and/or pets.

Garden maintenance in autumn

• Cut your hedges before winter to keep them bushy.
• Plant winter annuals to keep your garden colourful.
• Take cuttings.
  • Swap them with friends to increase variety, or spread existing plants further in your own garden.
• Prune fruit frees in late autumn (except Apricot … wait until Spring)

Tip: If pruning diseased plants, always clean tools in bleach or disinfectant before moving on to the next plant. This helps stop the spread of disease from one plant to another.

Professional garden maintenance, Mornington Peninsula

Empire Retaining Walls offers residential and commercial customers, including builders and architects, practical and aesthetically pleasing landscaping services and solutions, including:

• Design
• Planting
• Lawn and garden maintenance
• Watering systems
• More>

There’s no job too small.

Whether you’re looking to make a big impression, add value to your home, improve your lifestyle through the creation of an enjoyable (perhaps even enviable!) outdoor space, or just maintain that space, we’ve got you covered with our complete landscaping services.

• For examples of our work, please refer to the Empire Retaining Walls online ‘Portfolio’.
• If you’re after a service not listed here, please all Adam on 0421 573 001 to discuss your needs.
• To obtain a free quote, call Adam or email empirewalls@live.com.au.
• For free landscaping tips and to stay in touch, follow us on Facebook.