Life is a Garden | South Africa |

Do you plan to do a lot of entertaining outdoors this festive season and want your garden to look its best? There is still time to carry out some easy steps that will give your garden the wow factor and impress your guests. Life is a garden, so get outdoors and be inspired.

Avoid making any drastic changes that will take up huge amounts of time and money at this time of year. Rather, like putting a ribbon on a gift, tweak what you already have and add some finishing touches. Follow these simple solutions to make your garden look in pristine condition:

Mow the lawn. There is nothing that beats a neatly mown lawn to give a garden a well-kept appearance. If your lawn has been left to its own devices and has developed the appearance of a wild meadow without the flowers, then beware of cutting the grass too short. Unless you have at least three days for the grass to recover, rather go for a medium length trim.

Trim the edges. Neatening the edges of flowerbeds is the garden equivalent of a good haircut. It gives instant polish. If time is short, simply cutting the grass along the edges of beds will create an improvement. With more time, weeding and trimming the edges of beds will give a more polished look.

Weed. Start with those areas where people are likely to arrive, or to walk and congregate such as pathways, paved areas, and areas nearest entrances and entertainment areas first. These are the places guests are most likely to notice.

Water. Giving your garden a sprinkle on the day before your special occasion will ensure that plants look perky and fresh, and help to create a moist, refreshing atmosphere in the garden.

Deadhead flowers. This will make your beds look instantly tidier.

Add instant colour. The easiest and quickest way to give your outdoor entertainment areas an instant and colourful ‘lift’ is to add some attractive containers filled with fast-growing and colourful annuals and perennials. For containers in sunny spots choose alyssum, lavatera, bedding dahlia, marigold, nasturtium, nicotiana, petunia, red and purple salvia, verbena and zinnia. Perennials such as colourful pelargoniums, gazanias and daisy bushes can also be used. For shady places choose begonias, coleus, lobelia, impatiens, and pansies. For height plant a fuchsia in the centre of the container.

Add instant structure. Garden pots planted up with interesting succulents, such as Crassula ovata, garden furniture, light trellising, ready built garden arches, already planted flowering hanging baskets, awnings, umbrellas, benches and statues are just some structures that can add instant impact if thoughtfully placed.