Do you know how to prepare your garden for spring? Here’s our guide to gardening

Growing your own organic vegetables can be fun for all ages. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto (Image: romrodinka)

This week marks National Gardening Week, and with the sun finally making an appearance, we’re bringing you our gardening tips for spring/summer.

After a long winter, it can seem a bit daunting to get started, so here’s our handy guide to where to get started in the garden.

Coming up with garden design ideas

If you’re looking at designing your garden from scratch, there are some gardening tips for spring that might make life a bit easier.

Containers are a great way to add a dash of seasonal colour to your home, and can be useful for small gardens.

Growing your own organic vegetables can be fun for all ages. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto (Image: romrodinka)

Mixed borders give you a chance to show off your creative flair, and combined with well-thought-out paths and patio areas, can create a lovely garden design.

Think about adding water to your garden too, whether it’s a still pond to encourage wildlife, or a bubbling fountain to enjoy of a summer’s eve.

Starting a vegetable garden

One of the most rewarding gardening practises is starting your very own vegetable garden.

Whether it’s an organic vegetable garden, an allotment, or your own space to grow some fresh produce, it’s a rewarding place to start.

Planting mixed beds of vegetables can help to confuse pests. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto (Image: This content is subject to copyright.)

You can grow vegetables and herbs in a big or small garden; in flower beds or in containers; so why not make this your starting point for this year’s garden project?

Which vegetables should I plant in May?

The month of May is a busy one for gardeners, as many vegetables, flowers and herbs can be planted or sown this month.

Vegetable growing doesn’t have to be difficult, and can be an enjoyable pastime as you watch your seedlings turn into hearty produce.

May is a good time to start sowing cabbages, broccoli, sprouts and leafy vegetables, and you can also sow pumpkins and courgettes indoors this month.

May is a great month to start planting root vegetables such as carrots, turnips, beetroots and swedes outdoors. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto (Image: Halfpoint)

It is also a great month to start planting root vegetables such as carrots, turnips, beetroots and swedes outdoors, but be careful of any late frosts.

Organic gardening tips and tricks

While May is a busy month for planting, it’s also prime time for battling against weeds and pests when sowing and planting new crops.

You’ll need to ensure you give your seedlings plenty of protection, particularly if you’re planning to grow organic vegetables.

One of our top gardening tips to keep pests off of organic vegetables is to grow a variety of herbs and crops next to each other in the same bed to confuse the bugs.

Growing your own organic vegetables can be fun for all ages. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto (Image: romrodinka)

Also, learn the difference between pesky plant-eating bugs, and crop-friendly, predator-eating bugs. Some insects might actually be helpful in keeping away pests.

Expert gardening tips for spring

Sometimes a project is just a bit too big, or you might need a helping hand to bring your garden ideas to life.

Whether you’re looking to start a vegetable garden, or for someone to help with garden landscaping ideas, sometimes it’s a good idea to get an expert opinion.

With Buy With Confidence, you can find gardening and landscaping (insert space) services near you which are vetted and approved by Trading Standards to ensure that they operate in a legal, honest and fair way.

Go to www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk to find a trustworthy gardening service or other ‘Buy With Confidence’ Trading Standards approved business near you.