The time has come to prep your outdoor space for the welcome return of friends and family.

From 29^th March, at long last we’re be able to spend time with six mates or two households in gardens. We cannot wait!

Spring is in the air and after three lockdowns we’re more than ready to peel ourselves off the sofa and get the garden ready for brighter, warmer and more sociable days ahead.

We’ve called on some of the best outdoor living specialists to help us put together this guide to help you spruce up your outdoor space ready for al fresco reunions aplenty.

Re-Imagine the Landscape

Clear away any overgrowth and debris to create a clear path to your garden retreat, if you have one. Then you can let your imagination run wild and start planning your garden’s design.

Garden Designer Tom Gadsby of Structured Growth Garden Design brings many years of experience to the task of creating gardens that delight their owners. He achieved a Diploma with Distinction from the Inchbald School of Garden Design and is a member of the Society of Garden Designers. We called on Tom to share some of the tricks of his trade…

Garden Designer Tom Gadsby’s Secrets of Garden Design

“In many ways I am convinced that a garden can design itself. If you look carefully all the clues are there. Look at plants that grow well in the surrounding area, look at materials that are used in your house in the boundaries or in the local area, think about how you would like to use the space, and finally look at the shape and outlook of the house itself.

The site can give you so many clues. The surrounding area, both in terms of soil and climate will dictate what plants grow well. Look at your neighbours’ gardens and make a note of what is flourishing and, most importantly, what you like. Take photographs (with permission where necessary) and start to put plant combinations together. A garden should be inviting all year round so look at combinations for different seasons. 

You will need to consider hard landscaping materials. Take your cue from what is already present. Is the house built of brick? Consider using brick for the paths through your garden. A slate roof on the house could be echoed in a slate wall in the garden. Oak-framed windows could inspire a wooden summer house.

How will you use the garden? Or do you have multiple ways in which you would use the space? Would you like an area which is hidden from view so that you can relax in peace? You could screen a corner with hedging or other high planting. A place for entertaining with easy reach of the kitchen might be on your list. Consider adding zones for different uses and different moods”.

Care Tips for Your Garden Building

You can easily breathe new life, or even change the whole look of your garden building with a wood treatment or a lick of paint.

The makers of Malvern Garden Buildings advise that painted timber, when exposed or open to the elements, will over time be subject to natural weathering. Redwood timber buildings will generally require more regular maintenance than a Cedar building, which can be considered a long-life, low-maintenance option.

For painted buildings check for any chips, flaking or peeling and sand these areas down with fine sandpaper such as 180 grit, then apply a primer, undercoat plus a topcoat to the affected areas. The paint used on your Malvern Garden Building is Teknos and is part of the “Aqua” range. If you’re unsure of the shade, consult a colour chart for reference numbers to quote when re-ordering.

Clear guttering and wash down the building to remove any dirt and residue with mild soapy lukewarm water and a soft sponge. If removing moss from cedar shingle tiles, then best to use a sharp blade and to do it very carefully, otherwise you risk damaging the tile itself. For keeping moss or greening at bay you could use a clear, no colour Barrettine. When using, put only a minimum amount on the brush end; or use a rag/cloth to dab the solution lightly onto the tiles – this is to avoid the solution bleeding through and to avoid seepage. The solution should just coat the exterior of the tile and allow to dry. Ensure you apply this treatment during a dry spell.

Finish off the spring clean with washing the window glass with warm soapy water, rinse and dry thoroughly with a lint-free cloth or chamois leather. Residue on windows can could simply be limescale, depending on the water quality in your area. A limescale remover like Viakal is useful at removing this; dry and polish with soft dry cloth.

Prettying Up Your Outdoor Space

Selina Lake is a successful stylist, author and columnist. Her work has been exhibited at RHS Chelsea and RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival and can be seen in the pages of Country Living, The English Garden and Country Homes & Interiors. She has produced ten books for Ryland Peters & Small, including bestsellers Botanical Style and Garden Style.

Her latest title Shed Style reveals how to create the shed of your dreams and is brimming with hundreds of styling and decorating ideas. We asked Selina to share her top 3 easy styling tips to get your garden ready for small gatherings.

Selina Lake’s Styling Tips

Extra Room

Now is the perfect time to transform your out-building or shed if you have one into a versatile room, perhaps it became a dumping ground over the Winter or just needs a bit of attention. Start by giving your space a good tidy, clear the decks to assess the space then think about how you want to use this extra room over the next few weeks or months.

Could it be a botanical hub for growing your own? A chill out zone? or a craft room? Then utilise furniture you already have to suit the purpose, an old table doubling as potting bench, comfy armchair to sit and take a moment or shelving for storing craft supplies.

No outdoor building? How about making an open-air lounge space by placing garden furniture around an impromptu coffee table, an upturned wooden crate will do the job nicely.

Garden Decorating

Showcase your favourite pots, plants and gardenalia and add a decorative touch to your garden. Any surface offers an opportunity for a mini display. An old bench? top of the log store or under used table. If your available surface is moveable position outside your garden room or against a wall or fence so you have a backdrop for the display. Think about using items of different heights to add interest, you can use old bricks, upturned pots or wooden crates to create different heights.

 Get Creative

Use seasonal flowers from your garden to jazz up your garden fence or outbuilding and recycle at the same time. Gather together washed glass bottles or jars, some string, a hammer and some hooks, or nails. Then find a good spot in your garden for a floral display, a sturdy fence or the side of a shed or other building will work well. Now hammer in some nails (please take care doing this) cut lengths of string to wrap tightly around the necks of the vessels and tie them securely onto the hooks or nails. Now fill the jars and bottle with water and go on a flower hunt around your garden cut enough stems of foliage and flowers to fill the jars. No available tools or fence? Plunge sturdy sticks into the ground and tie your jars and bottles directly to them.

Happy spring cleaning! Here’s to better days ahead when our gardens can once again be filled with laughter, banter and the clinking of glasses.

Feeling Inspired?

If you’re feeling inspired to have a go at some of these ideas, please share with us! We’d love to see your handiwork – make sure to tag us on social media on @malverngardenbuildings and @selinalake on Instagram, @malverngardenbuildings on Facebook and @malvernbuilding on Twitter