White Pages® News

Get your garden ready for spring

August 1, 2011

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Spring has almost sprung and it’s time to swap those winter mittens for gardening gloves and get your backyard ready for the blooming season.

Start the new season off right by taking some time now to prepare your patch. Pop your local hardware store’s name into White Pages® Online to search for its address and pick up the essentials. On the shopping list? Gardening gloves, a spade, a pair of secateurs, some fertiliser and a watering can.

Before you get your green thumb all dirty, it might pay to check the weather. Get the four-day forecast for your area from White Pages® Online - Weather.

First up is the task of trimming dead foliage and pruning dormant plants. Excess overgrowth might require a trip to the tip to dump it with other green waste. Consult your local council about its green waste policy.  You can search for your local council’s contact details by typing the name into a White Pages® Online Government search.

With dead branches out of the way, it’s time to consider whether you will shape up your existing landscape or invest in more garden beds. If you would like to DIY it but don’t have the right equipment, search for the details of your local equipment hire company by tying its name into a White Pages® Online Business search. Otherwise, search for your favourite tradesman’s phone number on White Pages® Online.  You can then save the details for future reference using the MyList functionality.

When the grunt work is completed, the soil should be prepared using rakes to break it up. Add compost to improve texture and fertiliser to improve growth. Search for the address of your favourite nursery on White Pages® Online  and head down to stock up on bulbs and seedlings for spring. It might be a bit cold for planting directly into the ground, so start raising them in pots and trays.

But what should you be planting? Try these according to your location:

• Sub tropical areas – Snapdragons, Begonias, Dahlias and Impatiens.
• Temperate gardens – Everlasting Daisy, Carnations, Petunias and Asters.
• Cool areas – Sunflowers, Geraniums, Begonias and Forget-me-Nots.

With a bit of luck, when the first warm spring day arrives your garden should be the envy of all your neighbours.