The summer might seem like it’s a long way off, but it will get here before you know it, and if you really want to enjoy the warmer days and lighter evenings, one of the best things you can do is spend the time between then and now updating your back garden. If you do this, you can spend your time in your own home (or at least outside it) in comfort and save money at the same time.

Tidy up

To start, you need to do simple things to make your garden look nice again. During the winter, it’s easy for our outdoor living spaces to get a little windswept and out of hand. But a quick clean-up can do a lot to make your garden look new and fresh again.

As spring gets closer, now is a great time to get outside and clean up. A few weekends spent mowing the lawn, pruning the shrubs, pulling weeds from the walkways, and jet-washing the patio will rapidly bring your garden back to life and ensure that it is just how you want it by the time the summer really comes along.

Introduce colour

Planting colourful flowers, putting up colourful hanging baskets, or cleaning up faded outdoor furniture all add welcome splashes of colour. Get yourself to a garden centre and choose some paints in the shades you like best. Or you can buy tulip bulbs and similar online to make it even easier for you (and you give yourself much more choice).

Plants in containers are easy to inject some life into a balcony, patio, or terrace. To make a bigger statement, choose brightly coloured planters and blooming plants.

Save rainwater

Instead of using water from the mains to water your garden, buy a big water butt to store rainwater. In fact, if you have room, you should buy two or three of them just to be safe. You can find a variety online. Whether you want the traditional green water butt or something a little more modern or slim to save space, you should be able to find it easily.

Another idea is to use a galvanised steel tank rather than anything plastic – these are more usually found in loft spaces for water storage, but, with some extra work on installation, could make a great alternative to a plastic water butt. Since it tends to rain a lot during the winter and spring, you can save a lot of water that would otherwise have gone to waste.

Repaint fences and sheds

Sheds and fences take up more eye space than you might think. If the wood structures in your garden are starting to look old, a quick coat of paint can make the whole area look more modern. Even though orange cedar fences are common in the UK, experts say you should choose a colour that matches or goes well with the outside of your home.

For example, if your roof is red, you might want to paint the fences the same colour. Or, if your roof is black or your windows are grey, painting your garden shed black or grey can be the perfect match.

The best thing to do is to take your time planning any repainting that needs to be done in your garden. It’s a time-consuming job, and you really want to get it done right the first time. However, once you are finished, it will transform your garden into a place you’ll truly love being in, which is perfect for the summer.

Add a wildlife meadow

Although you may want the majority of your back garden to look neat and tidy and be a space you and your family and friends can use, it is also worth considering adding a wildlife ‘meadow’. Of course, this doesn’t actually have to be a big space, even if the word meadow tends to imply that. It could just be a corner of your garden or even one small piece of a flowerbed that you keep separate and use to plant wildflowers.

The great thing about a wildlife meadow is that it’s meant to be wild. Choose wildflowers and plant the seeds; after that, it can take care of itself. Not only will this give you less work to do in your garden, but it will ensure you offer a safe haven for insects and, importantly, bees, as well as other wildlife. It’s a great way to learn more about the world’s ecosystems, and with the right combination of plants, it will look stunning, even if it isn’t as neat and tidy as the rest of your garden.

Add A vegetable garden

You don’t need a lot of room to grow good vegetables. In fact, most of us have busy lives, so a big plot is not only hard to take care of, but if you’re trying to sell a house to people who want something that fits with their busy lives, a big vegetable area can be a turnoff. It’s far better to stick to something you can easily maintain if you feel a vegetable garden would be a great way to update and upgrade your outside space and make it ready for the summer (and the summer barbecues you’ll be having – imagine being able to grow your own ingredients).

Using a vegetable trug and a few pretty pots or crates to make a small, portable option is much more appealing than a big space that takes up too much room and is hard to look after. It’s fun to grow your own food, and you’ll be helping to make the world a better place by being more sustainable.

Install Solar Lighting

Installing solar lights is a simple and quick way to light up your garden instead of getting electricity outside. Plus, they make the area look different than floodlights do. They give off just enough light to see well and can make your garden look pretty at night in the summer. Most of the time, string lights along your veranda’s roof or in your flowerbeds are the best places for solar lights.

Solar lights are great since they emit a warm glow without disturbing the local wildlife at night, allowing you to enjoy the outdoors after dark.